Tag Archives: blessings

An Icelandic Adventure: The Epilogue…”What about St Giles’?”

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“Life is full of surprises and serendipity. Being open to unexpected turns in the road is an important part of success. If you try to plan every step, you may miss those wonderful twists and turns. Just find your next adventure-do it well, enjoy it-and then, not now, think about what comes next.

Condoleezza Rice

St. Giles’ Cathedral, Royal Mile, Edinburgh

I was on my way to Edinburgh for a quick week-long getaway with Cousin Doug, when my connecting flight was cancelled due to an unexpected, epic snowstorm…worst October storm in Iceland since records were kept… resulting in two unplanned nights on this snowy island. On day three, I was routed to Paris with a long layover. I’d be arriving late, but I’d finally be joining my cousin. Little did I know, as I found my row and waited for the arrival of the passengers booked into the adjacent seats, that this flight would be the most fun I ever had on a plane!

Without my Icelandic adventure and my detour to Paris, I would never have met Ellie and Kim.

“Realize that everything connects to everything else.” Leonardo da Vinci

When the flight attendant offered wine, we each took a bottle. We had snacks, we had wine, and we had an instant connection with conversations that ran the gamut from where are you going, where have you been, to men, jobs, sex, religion and everything in between. We didn’t talk much about politics. After all, who wants to spoil a good time with that? We laughed a lot…and…got more wine and snacks. I never had such a good time with strangers who became instant friends.

At some point in our conversation, I mentioned that I was carrying a picture of my friend, John. He has deep Scottish roots, loves all things Scottish, and longs to visit this special place. In the meantime, I would bring a photo of him in one of his kilts, with an inscription on the back, and leave it somewhere meaningful, so at least a part of him…his image…would be waiting to welcome him when he makes the trip himself. The next step would be finding the perfect place to position the tightly folded photo.

“I was thinking that Colton Hill, or maybe in an out-of-the-way spot in Princes Street Gardens, would be nice,” I said. “I could discreetly bury it in one of those places. Then it would eventually break down and become part of the earth. Can you think of a better place?”

“What about St. Giles?” Ellie suggested.

St. Giles’ Cathedral is my favorite place in all of Edinburgh, and with its Queen Victoria crown, it is a distinctive feature in the Edinburgh skyline. It was founded in 1124 by King David I and has been a working church for over 900 years. It was witness to Scotland’s turbulent religious history, and it was the parish church of John Knox, the Scottish minister, leader of the country’s Reformation, and founder of the Church of Scotland. Most recently, it is where Queen Elizabeth’s body lay In State before being moved to London.

The first time my husband, Dave, and I came to Scotland, we were on a bus trip…See England, Wales, and Scotland. When we reached Edinburgh, we had a brief time to explore on our own. Back then, I knew very little of this city I would come to love. There was really only one place, beyond those that the tour had planned for us, that I wanted to visit…The Thistle Chapel… a separate chapel within St. Giles’ Cathedral. All I knew about it was that it had an amazing ceiling.

The ceiling in The Thistle Chapel

The Thistle Chapel was created for use by the Order of the Thistle, Scotland’s highest chivalric honour, reserved for individuals—usually Scots or those of Scottish descent—who have rendered exceptional service. Membership is granted at the sole discretion of the Sovereign.

The present Thistle Chapel was designed by Robert Lorimer and was finished in 1911. The craftsmanship is exquisite, and the attention to detail is astonishing. So many details are included in the carvings…religious, heraldic, and some purely Scottish…such as bagpipe-playing angels. Spectacularly beautiful, it is very difficult to photograph successfully due to its compact size and extensive carvings. It is something you have to experience.

A replica of this angel, bought on my first visit, has hung on my wall for decades.
I visit her in person whenever I am in town.

When Scotland opened up after Covid, I brought my sister and her husband to see this place I love.

“I’m sorry. The chapel isn’t open today,” the greeter informed us.

“Oh,” I replied dejectedly. “That’s my favorite place in Edinburgh, and I wanted to show my sister.”

“Well, wait a minute. Let me see what I can do.” Within minutes, he was escorting us to the door of the chapel for a private tour. Upon reaching the door, he handed me the key. What a thrill.

Holding this key and opening the door was such a thrill! Wow!

“What do you mean? What about St. Giles’?”I asked. “I’d love to find a place in St. Giles’, but I can’t imagine where that would be.”

“How about the roof? Maybe you could wedge the picture into a crack in the stones,” she proposed.

“Are you kidding!” I exclaimed incredulously. ” That would be absolutely amazing. But how?”

“I have a few connections. Let’s see what we can do.”

Later that night, I received an email from my new friend, Ellie. “You’re in luck,” she said. “You can arrive anytime tomorrow. Just tell them that you know me and that something has been arranged.”

Oh, my word! I was beside myself. I never expected anything like this. As I was drifting off to sleep, it occurred to me that I had a very small portion of Dave’s ashes in my suitcase. Why not bring him along, too?

When my cousin and I arrived at St. Giles’ the next morning, the gentleman at the door, Callum, recognised my name right off and said he would just be a minute and could then take us up. Presently, there we were climbing the ancient, twisting stairs to the roof.

I grabbed a quick shot of the stairs on our descent.
You can tell there hasn’t been a lot of traffic here for some time.
It was much darker than the photo would suggest.

Suddenly, light flooded into the stairwell as Callum opened the door. We had reached the roof. I could hardly contain myself. There was a bridge that led from the door we had just exited to another door at the far end. Doug and I were instructed that, for safety reasons, we would have to stay on the walkway. Callum would do the actual placing of the photo, but we could help select the location.

“They’ve done repair and renovation up here in recent years,” Callum remarked. “It’s going to be too difficult to lodge the photo between the stones, but I’m sure we can find another place that will securely hold it.” Within a minute or two, the perfect spot had been found, and Callum had carefully lodged the paper into place. Perfect.

Callum carefully placed the photo.
Snug and Secure

The door at the far end of the bridge led to a room that contained the clockworks that regulate the bells. Doug noted that if the bells rang on the quarter hours and the half hour, it was due to ring in about two minutes. We waited. Hearing the bells from inside was a phenomenal opportunity. Wow!

The Clock Works

At the far end of the metal walkway, I placed Dave’s ashes. How appropriate that the man of my past and my friend, the man of my present, are both in this place that is so important to me. Dave’s ashes will eventually be blown or washed away, as they should be, for he has gone on to the great adventure of what lies beyond. John’s photo, on the other hand, will be hidden here for a long time, just waiting for him to make memories of his own in this astonishing place.

St Giles’ has 900 years of history, and now I’m a part of it…and so are John and Dave.

Unexpected Destinations hold the promise of Unexpected Experiences, Unexpected Awakenings and ultimately Unexpected Blessings!! _Unknown

You might call it luck, chance, or serendipity that my path crossed with those of Ellie and Kim. After the Iceland Adventure and the Paris Detour…perhaps…but I prefer to think of it as a gift of grace…an unexpected blessing for which I am so very grateful.

St. Giles’ Cathedral
The Royal Mile, Edinburgh
We were on the left side of the level below the crown,
It’s too dangerous to go up there now.

Flowing Like a River

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“Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.” 

Henry Van Dyke

Last December, I received two gorgeous calendars as Christmas gifts. I’m sure that each was chosen primarily for the stunningly beautiful artwork as well as for their practicality and function. I generally use the calendar on my laptop or my phone, but holding a paper calendar is an experience not equaled by a glowing screen. For in addition to the colorful prints and the monthly grid of empty squares, you literally hold in your hands the promise and potentiality of another trip around the sun…three hundred sixty-five days of possibilities. A pretty wonderful gift, I’d say. I am confident that fewer calendars are ahead of me than behind me, so I think a lot about how I’ll fill those empty squares.

The February page reminds me that my mom’s birthday is fast approaching. One of my childhood friends shared her birthdate with my mom. “Gee,” Fran exclaimed on one of those birthdays years ago. “We’re getting old. I mean, we’re pushing thirty!” That year, my mother was precisely twice her age. Mom was forty-two years, and Fran…and I… were merely twenty-one. With Fran’s mathematical logic, I suppose we are both pushing eighty this year! How quickly a lifetime has passed.

Time, flowing like a river.
Time, beckoning me.
Who knows when we shall meet again, if ever.
But time keeps flowing like a river into the sea.
-Alan Parson’s Project, Time
Flowing Like a River
Near Pitlochry, Scotland 2021

For more than two years, our lives have been ruled in one way or another by Covid-19. While the memories of the terrible isolation and loneliness I experienced during the lock-down and waiting for the vaccine are fading, I’m still wearing a mask in public and avoiding being too close to others. I also weigh the risks and benefits of activities I once took for granted. Now, for example, I consider whether the hoops of fire through which I must jump are worth the reward of travel…one of my favorite activities. Like everyone, I have a finite number of trips and adventures left on my calendar, but not knowing how many pages are left increases my desire to fill each square with meaning. At times I have wanted to whine and cry about what Covid has stolen from me, but as I grieve my losses, I know that the entire planet is filled with people who have sacrificed so much more than I. Of course, I empathize with their loss, but that doesn’t negate mine. It’s painful.

“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.”So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” 

― J.R.R.TOLKIEN, THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
River Dochart Just Beyond the Falls
Killin, Scotland 2021

I’ve been searching for the word that best describes my Covid experience…two opposing ideas that both are seemingly true. I’m not sure if ‘paradox‘ is that word, but it comes close. Covid was and remains a callous, nondiscriminating thief of time. The list of treasures stolen is long, universal, and personal. (Universally personal…an ‘oxymoron.’ That one I know.) Graduations, weddings, even funerals became solitary events, if they occurred at all. Trips, plays, ball games, and family gatherings were put on hold or canceled outright. Connections with friends…old and new…even worship services were relegated to Zoom or Facetime. The precious time that we lost can never be regained. 

If I could save time in a bottle
The first thing that I'd like to do
Is to save every day 'til eternity passes away
Just to spend them with you
-Jim Croce, Time in a Bottle

Yes, Covid was a robber that took that which was most precious…bits and pieces of our lives. On the other hand…this marauder left behind unexpected blessings. The virus grabbed cherished time with one hand and bestowed the gift of time with the other. Paradox?

We had quiet time to think, read, write, and simply rest in isolation. Without other obligations and distractions, family Zoom gatherings became a weekly highlight enabling us to empathize, support, laugh, and connect from across the country. With worship services on Zoom, Facebook, or Youtube, we could attend when and wherever we chose. On the second Easter of Covid, I attended a United Methodist service in South Carolina, my local Unitarian Universalist Fellowship gathering in Michigan, the service in Montpelier, Vermont, and at the UU Meeting House in Provincetown. Later in the day, when a friend on Facebook suggested I check out the message from her church in Pennsylvania, I fast-forwarded to the sermon. I’m not especially religious, but…I had the time and absolutely nothing else on my calendar. The gift of time… enjoyed with a handful of jelly beans.

Sylvan Solace on the Chippewa River
Fall 2021
"Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' Into the future"
-Steve Miller Band Fly Like an Eagle

As the Covid situation morphs yet again into what seems like a more manageable and less devastating phase, I…like many, many others, am beginning to think about how I can add plans to those calendar pages. I’ve purchased airline tickets, booked a Christmas river cruise, selected plays I’m hoping to see, and registered for the Arts Retreat on Star Island. Will all of those adventures come to fruition? Who knows, but I’m moving forward in faith that they will.

“Do not wait: the time will never be ‘just right’. Start where you stand, and work whatever tools you may have at your command and better tools will be found as you go along.”

― Napoleon Hill
Mill Pond Park, Mt Pleasant, MI
August 2021

I remember one of my teachers trying to explain the concept of time and our perception of it. “A minute with your sweetheart goes by in a flash, while a minute on a hot stove is unbearable.” It feels as though time is picking up the pace while I’m slowing down.

The clock is ticking, and I’m crossing off boxes on my calendars at an alarming rate. With each passing day, I am reminded that this is my time…our time. In the words of Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption, “Get busy living or get busy dying.” So, I’m taking out my pen, grabbing a calendar, filling the squares with plans, and riding with the current to the sea.