The weather. How we love to speak about the weather. It’s so hot. It’s so cold. We need rain. I wish it would stop raining. Wrong type of snow. And just occasionally, it’s just right. And that is how it was on 3 June when the Monday drop in had a trip on the river. The sun was just about breaking through as we waited for the bus to Kingston. And the boat trip to Hampton Court was beautiful. Swans gliding on the river, calm water, the beauty of nature in early summer. We stayed on the boat as pre-ordered fish and chips arrived at the pier. There is something about eating with friends on a boat. A wonderful outing.
The weather was not so kind on 10 June. The day it rained, and rained, and…rained. We had hoped to go for a summer walk in beautiful sunshine. This was not to be. But we had a great evening as the conversation turned to politics. We decided who from the group should be prime minister, chancellor, home secretary, head of MI5….It was such a good natured debate. And to finish the evening, Eddie, one of our volunteer cooks, produced home made spare ribs and vegetarian quiche. We were very spoilt.
The weather can have such a big impact on us. The sunshine may give us energy, new hope, new life. The dark days of winter can have us longing for our duvets, feeling depressed or worse. It is hard to cope with the unpredictability of it. Maybe it is a metaphor for life. Times of darkness, times of light. How do we get through without being overwhelmed by the storms or droughts which can suddenly arrive, or slowly creep up on us. Maybe the drop in offers a place of safety and acceptance, especially when life is very challenging.
The weather may have an impact on the trustees of Love Me Love My Mind as they meet this afternoon. We are taking time to reflect on how far the charity has come, to look at what needs to happen to keep it thriving, and dream dreams for the future. Hopefully there will be many sunny days ahead.
