Reflections

On this Monday morning, the 7th of July last year, at the start of another week of hot weather, under glorious blue skies, the FH left us.  We knew it was coming, that it wouldn't be too long, but we didn't think it would be that morning, or even that week, perhaps.  We thought we had some time.

Turns out time is short.  

We're now a year down another road, a slightly different road, and one we didn't have a detailed map to guide us along.  We had a rough idea how the road would twist and turn, but we had no idea of the exact route.

But God's grace is beyond measure.

A year on, no one else has died, the EFG has shone through a year at university and life 585 miles from home, the YFG has solidly worked her way through her GCSEs, and been an amazing support to me at home.  The house is still standing despite my lack of DIY skills.  We aren't bankrupt and we still have some savings, despite my fears about how we would survive.  I have been gainfully employed for 10 months in a job I have grown to tolerate if not actually love!  And I have hopes of a new position this week.  The FH's son has done his time and come out of prison a slightly different version of himself.  The chickens have gone, but we are still growing veggies.  I finished the Local Preachers' course and will become an Accredited LP this month! We found out the depth of the love and support of others by which we are upheld.

We still miss him.

We are looking forward to the future.  We still have plans for moving forward, moving on, making strides towards another future, perhaps a bit different from the one we thought we had back then.  The FH died believing that the YFG had plans to be a midwife, perhaps, for example but now she has moved from science/medical ideas to anthropology.......the EFG is considering a fifth year at uni in order to spend a year abroad, and we are opening our home in September to EF students. In some ways we are going forward but in other ways we are going full circle, back to the hosting of horticultural/vocational students we did back in Cupar!  

We give thanks for the memories, for the skills he taught us, the wisdom he shared with us, and the love he gave us.  In his death, we have become more confident, more determined, better team players, more reflective about how we are treated by others, and more aware of the opportunities we have. 

We look forward to what the next year might bring.