THE YEAR OF THE TSUNAMI

THE YEAR OF THE TSUNAMI

So we approach the Winter Solstice once again.

I believe the Chinese have a saying, May you live in uninteresting times.   Well, 2011 was an interesting year.    When you look back on it – Japanese earthquake  and tsunami and nuclear danger, the Arab Spring, the collapse of the banking system, the perilous position of the Euro, it does not seem one of the sunniest we have ever enjoyed.   We ourselves had ‘an interesting year’ but we seem to have survived it with no lasting damage.

Of course there were some good times – the lovely wedding of Rory and Sarah in Switzerland, the days high in the Swiss alps in the apartment which Sarah’s parents kindly lent us, and the visit to her family home in a beautiful part of France which was new to us.   Also a peaceful holiday John and I had on Orkney, that magic and wonderful island, and seeing family and friends in Scotland on our way there.    In our difficulties at the time of John’s illness, our family and friends were very kind and generous to us and we would not have managed without their support, for which we are forever grateful.

But now we must look forward to the coming year and whatever adventure it brings.     For us the chief anticipated event is the wedding of Elisabeth and Rob in Sussex in mid summer, and the gathering of all our five children and their families in one place, which is a rare event – together with family and friends.   There is the pleasure of watching and helping (we hope) our newly married children establish their own homes, and the continued growing up of our grandchildren.    We hope to visit and receive friends and family  besides that and look forward to this.    Certainly none of us could have predicted the events of this year, but I think I may be forgiven for hoping that next year is perhaps not quite so exciting as this one was.    As President George Bush (Snr) once said, what’s wrong with boring?

I’m going to take my leave of you until then.   I hope this year has brought you more pleasure than pain, and that the coming year is favourable for you and yours.

Thank you for accompanying me during 2011, and I hope you will be with me in 2012.