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Tuesday-Saturday 4-8 October 2005InterludeThe trip home went exceptionally smoothly. Were I inclined to think that way, I’d say that God, or Fate, or Something, was watching over me. I won’t elaborate here on the events of the following days. Let me say only that what left us this past Sunday was but the last remnant of the man who was my father; we have mourned all through this past summer as he declined, and now feel mostly relief. I will be returning to Scotland to meet Bobby and Ron, whom I have been begging for years to join me on a trip. I am very glad not to have to leave them on their own; I’m supposed to be the guide! But I will only spend the eight days that they will be there before returning home again to help my mother get things in order. I’ve missed my scheduled visits to Skye, Knoydart, and Stirling, and will miss Bladnoch and the Mull of Galloway. There’s always next year. As my trip was approaching this year, I gave a lot of thought to canceling, as my father was obviously failing. My mother said go, so I said goodbye to Dad and went. Not long ago, Bobby told me of being in the same situation some years back–he took a trip to Germany with some misgivings, as his father was in poor health. In some town or other over there, he wandered into a shop full of beer steins, and decided to buy one for himself. He chose one he thought particularly handsome, and as the shopkeeper handed it to him for inspection, he noticed an inscription in German on it. “What does this say?” Bobby asked, and the shopkeeper translated: Live life while the lamp glows, and pluck the flower as it blooms. Slàinte. Next |
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