Love bade me welcome

 It was a perfect early October morning. Autumn was rejoicing that it was her moment come. Wraiths of mist were breaking up over Venlaw Hill, and here was I, accompanied by Finbar the one year old black Labrador, making my way back home for coffee and breakfast. After the morning walk that was.

When I say “one year old” I’m being very precise. It was his first birthday just last week. He was born in early October on an Upper Tweeddale farm. I was doing a locum stint there, and going into the primary school one day I met Lynn on the doorstep. The farmer’s wife said to me “Are you looking for a dog”. Well I wasn’t, and then I was. So here he is. On the farm they called him “Mr Wiggly”, because he had to take his enthusiastic part in any fuss that’s going. With his wholly beautiful, silky black coat wriggling and twisting under any hand prepared to give him a pat.

A year later he is still Mr Wiggly. Enthusiastic with his love.

While he was being born in the Scottish Borders, our third grandson had been born - just a few days earlier in Christchurch, New Zealand. He and his parents have been living with us for seven months now. That’s a story for another time. It’s a happy story, Covid-related naturally, but happy for the household since we have had the immense privilege of watching Lewis John growing through his first year.

Incidentally, Finbar and Lewis are cronies. They hug and play gently, and get up to co-ordinated malefactions.

Anyway, you must stop me when my digressions become tedious. It’s a professional failing. I was walking down the road to home. And I had an epiphany! “There is no such thing as just another day” I thought. And you know - it’s true.

I have philosophical encounters with other dog walkers in the morning. We discuss the weather, and then Covid 19. And quite often one hears tales of overwhelming boredom and tedium as another day begins.

But what I think about Covid is that it has uncovered for me, at least, a hidden gem of insight.

There is no such thing as just another day! It feels profound. It IS profound. And I walk on to breakfast somehow rebooted. This blog has been one result of that reboot. I hope you’ll return to hear of others.