I love this photo! It’s not the best one I have of my father and I often wonder what he’s thinking but I know where he was just before the photo was taken.
We were in Edinburgh and had just visited the Botanical Garden. I’d discovered just days before that both my great-grandfather and grandfather had worked there. We went to see the place my father had heard about from his father but had never visited. It’s one of those days that I knew we were doing the right thing. My mother and aunt were there too and we spent a fair bit of time, wandering around, looking and (no doubt) thinking about other days.
As we came away from the Botanical Garden in a black taxi, I sat opposite my father and just looked at him as he looked out to some place in his memory and, I like to think, gave thanks that he had walked where his father walked, seen what he’d seen and had a new memory to add to the old. He gazed, perhaps, into what someone has called “a room called remember.” I am so glad I clicked that moment – for his memory gave me mine.
Today, February 23rd, Bill would have celebrated his 98th Birthday. I’m thinking of him and my mother (both gone to their reward) and encouraging anyone who reads these words on this Lenten Day, to take every opportunity to share time and place with your people.
The time spent today may well prove to be tomorrow’s happy memory.
