Day 106 Week 15

Another week and yet no news thank God. Negatives can really sometimes be positives. Cannot put the lost souls of Friday out of my mind.

Tragically it would seem that two hundred thousand people could have perished in the Haitian earthquake making it one of the ten most deadly of its kind ever.

The day has been thankfully busy, morning coffee with friends, walk in the glorious snow-free sunshine in the most seductive scenery, and then church and our Christingle service. The countryside was so divinely beautiful. There were many patches when it was possible to see how the world would have looked two hundred years ago for even though we are so close to central London there was nothing to see but fields, ancient woodland, animals and medieval farms.

Then to the Christingle service and felt really emotional as was back in the church lit purely by candles for the first time since last Christmas day. The vicar informed us that although Christingle has become synonymous with Advent, it was quite appropriate to celebrate it during the month of the Epiphany (January). The theme was the work of the Children's Society and was humbled by the tales of their ceaseless work on behalf of young people in hardship. Looked at the happy, safe and loved children of our village in the congregation, and compared their existence with the deprivation and neglect experienced by the children of our nation but in reality of another world, and was humbled. Stifled back the tears when the junior choir of H, C and R's school sang and was transported back to my babies being young, was it really so long ago.

Grabbed an orange (representing the world), with a red ribbon wrapped around it (for love), and four sticks stuck into it (for the points of the compass), each holding sweets or fruit (symbolising food and nourishment for the coming year), with a lit candle sitting atop (the light shining through the darkness), and said a prayer that the life could be so for everyone.

No news from either H, C or R so hopefully all's well and they're in good form.

Back to work tomorrow. Hurrah. Definitely like being a busy, challenged person to an introspective, under-occupied void locked in the house all day.

Thank you Lord.

Speak soon. A soldier's Mum x