August 3: Tales of the Unexpected

Our October London week has turned into a family affair. Caleb, Georgina, Luke are coming from Ireland, Lexi and Dustin from the US: the first time in years Carey, both his children and their families have all been together in person. With US-travel unlikely for the next few years, it is an unexpected opportunity. We hadn’t planned this trip, even 3 months ago. When we agreed Carey should go, I was looking/hoping for work over the summer, which would have kept me from joining. But, sometimes, things are just supposed to be a certain way. It’s important to celebrate the outcomes we are given.

In honour of the occasion, we have booked a large suite in one of our favourite hotels: the converted Art Deco Town Hall in Bethnal Green. It will be “home base”, where “the kids” can sleep, hang-out and socialize. It also comes with a decent kitchen and refrigerator for snacks and bevvies, respectively. We are staying with Gareth, which both enables the hotel splurge for the fam and creates meaningful “kitchen table time” for him and me. Gareth is my much loved, found brother and having “us time” with him is really important to me. We’ll be just a ten-minute walk from “Barrett central”.

Of course, that’s still months’ away. We have our whole camino to do before then.

We are slowly gathering our kit: making, changing illustrative floor-piles. We are again paring down to “essentials”. We will, again, still find that we overpacked, but, we can hope, less badly with each trip. I spent a back-taxing hour this week hunched over the printer, scanning the first six chapters of each of two textbooks for the study course I am joining in September. They are hardback-only, large format books, mandatory on the reading list, definitely NOT for lugging around Europe. I’m excited by the material and to be part of a study group. Despite the distance and time difference, I don’t want to miss the start of the academic year.

The course is supported by the Anglican diocese. It offers me the chance to meet a wider community of seekers. I left Knox this year because I no longer felt I contributed to its mission or community. I am grateful for all Knox offered me when we arrived; for key friendships started there, and glad they found their direction.

I wandered into St Stephen’s Anglican in April. I was warmly greeted. Nothing was asked of me. I remain a peripheral figure. I sing in the choir and share in the Bible study. In a place where I did no sowing, I have a harvest of community and worship. It is a gift, for what feels like a new season. I’m not sure if I am finally at peace with retirement, or if it’s simply the neuro-chemical effects of my highly altered, osteo-friendly diet. Either way, it feels like life has found a new pattern: contentment, gratitude with a hefty, welcome, dose of wonder. I am grateful.