A Fellow Traveller

Not all umbrellas are the same, as are many different kinds of rainfall. Yesterday I experienced walking outside during a heavy rainfall but I held a new umbrella, the kind golfers use. It was so heavy and sturdy that my arm was soon aching as I tried to find new ways to hold and balance it. I was kept dry as it gave complete protection from the elements but now my fold-up one seems quite inferior. I'm also thinking of what else gives protection and my list is growing. Shoes give protection to feet as does clothing to the body. Homes give protection from the elements of all kinds, especially during bad weather. Immunization gives protection from illness and insurance gives protection from fire and accidents. Families give protection to children as they love and instill enduring values. God's love is a kind of protection as well from whatever life deals us. We can't really insulate ourselves fully from the bad in life, but if God's love covers us, we can walk thro

I so enjoy the fall leaf colours that I find myself picking up special ones, hoping to enjoy them longer. Even as I press them, the colours begin quickly fading until over time, they too are brown. The other morning, as I was stooping to gather some maple leaves that were a vibrant mix of yellow and red, a lady in her housecoat stepped out on her porch, asking if I had lost something. As I apologized for worrying her and explained what I was doing, I realized what I must look like. Even my explanation of being a Kindergarten teacher didn't seem to make much difference. It seemed like the middle of the night, yet here I was picking up leaves in the streetlight. On this Remembrance Day, as I prepare to explain to young children about remembering, I realize how quickly memories fade away. When past events are close in time, we retain the emotions and can recount endless details that give colour and life to those of the past. Without stories of real happenings, with details that m