Richard of Chichester

I bought this lovely rose just over 12 month ago.  It is a lovely apricot colour and has a beautiful scent.

Just over 12 months ago we were going through a very difficult time as a family as my second nephew, Richard, who is often known as the TYM (Troubled Young Man), had got himself into a lot of trouble and we had no idea how things were going to work out and we seemed to be dealing with crisis after crisis.  Put simply, it was awful.  We were into a world of drugs, legal systems, justice, the law, depression.  Very foreign places.  Richard was trying hard to find his way and seemed to have turned to God for his help.  I was trying to help his sustain that and to stay away from the evil that had dominated his life for so long.  Don't get me wrong, he hadn't done anything that hurt anyone other than the family in the emotional impact of his behaviour.  But unfortunately, he had broken a very new law that most of the lawyers we encountered seemed to believe was a law that was not fit for purpose.

Anyway, when I was looking for a new rose bush I found this one called St Richard of Chichester, a Bishop who wrote the prayer that begins "Day by Day, dear Lord, three things of thee I pray..."  And I knew that was so appropriate for nephew Richard.  So I bought it and hoped it would survive.

It has.  It got eaten a bit by caterpillars last year, it's had to be treated for Black spot and Green fly, and it has now got some supports to hold it up, but now it is flowering beautifully and seems much happier.

I think of my nephew every time I look at it.  He is, shall we say, away from home in one of her Majesty's establishments.  He has had an awful time mixing with some difficult people. but is now in a better place and seems to be taking advantage of training  he is being offered.  He writes and phones and is relying on God to help him, along with Aunty and other family members!

It is good that the rose is thriving...