I met this chap yesterday evening, completely unexpectedly. Perhaps it’s one of those occasions where the lives of complete strangers briefly cross and then go their separate way. So I got talking to this man. First of all, allow me to set the scene.
Rachel has been away for a couple of days and this has allowed me to have a few different meals out. I’ve had two evenings at Ivinghoe Beacon, a lovely spot just inside Buckinghamshire. Each evening has been sunny, warm and, dare I say it, balmy. The evening sun light has been lovely across the countryside with its golden fields ready for harvesting.
As I walked up the beacon, I passed a man who was limping. As I overtook him, we exchanged some polite greeting and then once we had both reached the top we spontaneously started talking. I can’t remember who spoke first. Nevertheless he was quite lanky and much taller than me.
We admired the view and he pointed out a little airfield which I’d never heard of before. Then he explained something about his limp. In recent years he had had a stroke which had affected the left hand side of his body. I commented on that being bad luck, especially for someone relatively young and he went on to say about having heart problems, various operations and so on. All of this stemmed from heart problems as a new born baby and it was very fortunate he was still alive – it would have been so easy for this not to be the case!
I asked him if this put a different perspective on life. It did; this was about valuing life and also being accepting of things.
As he talked about his acceptance of things, my mind was scrambling for that poem, or saying, or proverb or prayer which was about having the grace to accept things. I just couldn’t quite recall it properly. He knew what I meant and yet neither of us could remember how it went. Having done a quick Google search it is the Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference
So thank you, whoever you are for stopping for a little chat on such a beautiful evening. Thank you for reminding me how precious life is and how we ought to value each day as if it were our last.
No matter what life throws at us – and for this man it was a lot – we should show some grace and accept the situation, not be defeated by it.
A couple of other related photos from both evenings at Ivinghoe:
