This Past Week

Those of you who follow Homeschool on the Croft on Facebook will know why I didn't post earlier this week. For the past week, our district of Ness has been shrouded in foggy, cloudy weather - weather which was a reflection on how its people were feeling. Today saw the funeral of a young man who was tragically killed in a road accident some days ago. When you live in a community like ours, you really do know what it is to 'mourn with those who mourn'. Everywhere we went over the past week, we greeted our fellow Nisich with quietness and sorrow. On Wednesday night, in the minutes before our Prayer Meeting began, there was loud silence instead of the usual quiet chatter. People we met on our trips to the local shops were subdued.

Everyone was sad.

But I know that we don't grieve like the family of the boy who was killed. We may not forget for some time, but our lives will move on. We will not lie awake at night thinking of him. He will not be in our thoughts when we waken in the morning. We will not remember him as we sit at our evening meal, and although we will continue to remember his loved ones in our prayers for quite some time, our prayers, too, will become dominated by our own family concerns and burdens. Such is life.

But for now, our hearts ache for the parents, the siblings, and the loved ones of the young man whose life came to such a sudden and tragic end.


And, as if to prove my own point, I was able to spend the past couple of days with one of my favourite people on the face of the earth.

This is my cousin, with whom I spent many happy days in my childhood, and with whom I love to spend any time I'm able to to this day. 

She was born just a few months before me and is also named Anne, after our grandmother.

Anne and I took a walk down to our local graveyard yesterday. Here is the gravestone marking the spot where our grandmother is buried. We love talking about relatives who are now no longer with us but who are part of our wonderful heritage.

We were also able to take a run down to Port Beach, where the sun obliged and made an appearance while we were there.

Sitting talking, and sometimes sitting is silence ... with the gently sounds of the sea always with us. It was wonderful.

Best of all, Anne and I are always able to talk. I mean really talk. What a precious gift it is to have someone with whom you can laugh and cry; a person with whom you can share your joys and griefs. We opened our Bibles and we opened our hearts. I know that she will pray for me, and I will pray for her, in more meaningful ways, now that we have had this time together.

Anne and I love the same things. We love fellowship, friendship, and food. We love our families and our shared history. We love to reminisce, and we love to look to the future. We love cups of tea. We love to blether.

And we dress the same way.

Could it get any better?