Silence is golden.......

The parents and ma in law came to supper last night. Mother is still unable to eat much and gets by with less than childlike portions.

The upper GI endoscopy has revealed that the lining of her stomach is ulcerated, and there are patches of inflammation between the oesophagus and stomach.

In six weeks she will have a scan and another endoscopy.

Each week she becomes more frail.......and clothes that fitted, now hang on her tiny frame. Her face is etched with lines, each one speaks of anxiety. My mother has never been able to cope with life.....I have always found this sad, as I truly believe, she has never found true contentment.

I know that when she is with me, she finds peace in silence. We do not speak much, there is an understanding that goes beyond words.

The garden continues to give me much pleasure. Despite the dry conditions, I work each day amongst the flowers.......

I find much happiness down on my knees, weeding the beds, with butterflies and bees dancing above my head, enjoying the fruits of my labour.
I wish my mother had enjoyed gardening....sadly she always felt it was a chore and never truly connected with the space outside her own back door.

I personally believe, a garden can be healing.........it can take you away from the burdens that life can bring.

For a brief moment in time, we are at one with the creatures that live alongside us.

I wish I was Nella, sitting on a bed of flowers.......

or even better sleeping amongst them...........

I leave you with the words of Henry Frederic Amiel:

To know how to grow old is the master-work of wisdom, and one of the most difficult chapters in the great art of living.......

Have a lovely weekend.