Happy New Year

I am about to explain this heading. About 19 days ago this was on everyone’s lips. And, rightly so. Why should anyone not want to express the hope to family, to friends and, often, to complete strangers that the year ahead should, for them, be a happy one? A few, very blessed, or very lucky people will have a year in which they will experience no ill health, continued prosperity, security or heart ache. But, most of us will have experiences which we would prefer not to have. Some will have faith in a god to get them through, some in the God, some the support of friends and family, some their own ability to get through, some  the optimism that things will get better, and some will experience loneliness and despair.

From the very start of the year our family are in the group of those who have already faced experiences that we would rather not have had.

Today (Saturday 19^th Jan) our youngest son, Joni, hands over the key to a house which he and Fiona have enjoyed as a home for a little less than a year. Their year began by their landlord asking for his house back. As of 12 noon today they are technically homeless. But, unlike some of the truly homeless they will have a roof over their heads for as long as it takes. There is an upside. The event has propelled them into looking to purchase. They may soon be moving into their own, mortgaged to the hilt, home.

Yesterday (Friday 18^th) can only be described as being a major marker to a one of the cruellest events that I have ever experienced. The family stood together as my beloved brother Adrian’s body was lowered into the ground. Seven days after the start of the year his wife, his son and his daughters, my sister and I and our spouses sat around his bedside and watched as life left his body. I say that this was cruel. He was a younger, fitter brother who should have had years of enjoyable and well deserved years of retirement ahead of him to spend with his wife and ever expanding family of grandchildren.

I regret that we did not spend as much time together as I would have liked. (I leave others to make my excuses – I think that I have heard them all now.) However, over the years as adults, I have come to see him as a quiet, thoughtful, caring and even professional gentleman. The service was not to disenchant me. Every word spoken confirmed my view. By the end of the service I wanted to shout out either ‘He was my brother’ or ‘I am his brother’. I just wanted to say I proud I am to be sharing the same family name.

1964 The Dare Devil

1964 Fishing

On Ben Nevis

Relaxing

60th Birthday with
 Cock-Eyed Wry Smile

The committal was also special. He could not have planned such memorable  weather. The thickly lying snow reminded us of how much of an outdoors man he was. The snow was also picturesque, reminding us of how much he appreciated the natural world. The snow changed the occasion. Many polished black shoes were changed to boots which came out of black, polished limousines and black clothes were suddenly adorned with gay colours. We could have been taken for cheerful carol singers rather than mourners as we stood around and threw bright coloured roses down on to the coffin. I will carry a peculiar memory of the occasion. On returning to the car there was a toddler standing thoughtfully by a black marble headstone looking towards it and a bright windmill stood in front. The whole scene surrounded by snow. Camera-less I stood in awe.

It was good to spend time with rarely seen relatives and enjoy the spread which Adrian’s family always offer on all the occasions that we have attended and see some the images of him that have been long forgotten or which I have never seen; of happy family holidays with his wife and children.

The battle home through vehicle infested, snow hidden roads were an immediate panacea to the experience which we had just had.

I now sit at home looking over the peopleless snow scene through the study window and believe that the year ahead will still have happy times for ‘one and all’.