Looking back

Near the end of last year we were on a car journey to take our son shopping.It was cold and wintry and my passenger window misted up. I cleared a small 'window' to watch the world speed by. There were green fields, tracery of twigs on trees, a magpie on the back of a sheep.
In an instant I flashed back to journeys I had taken as a child. My father had worked for British Rail and so we often took trips on the steam train. They too had misted up and I would clear a little 'window' to watch the world speed by. Backyards, hills and rivers all flew past.The recollection was so clear that it took me by surprise and made me wonder where all those years had gone. Suddenly over 50 years seemed to have gone in a heart beat. Soon the moment was gone but it left me thinking of how precious time is and I started to think about things I still want to achieve and accomplish and where my priorities lie.

Within a few weeks of  that journey my father died. He had Parkinson's and it was as if all our efforts to hold onto him failed. Parkinson's finally overpowered us. There was another powerful reminder of how precious time is.
Time to be together, time to enjoy life time to appreciate and celebrate our ability to be creative.
So I am still busy making and enjoying time with family and friends. In just a few weeks I will be travelling to China to spend time with my daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter.
My dad was a very lovely man, kind and generous and always appreciative. We spent much of our time together laughing - good things to remember and be thankful for.