A LESSON TO BE LEARNED

“Tenacious : persistent, determined and able to survive in difficult conditions.”

My first job this morning was to contact our Energy Supplier because our IHD - or In Home Display - box had stopped working last Thursday and was no longer communicating with our smart meters and whatever we had tried to do didn’t make any difference.  I got through straight away and spoke to a very helpful man called Stuart, who has hopefully sorted out the gas and electric meters, so that they talk to the IHD - 24 hours will tell!  I guess you could say I was tenacious and we were both persistent in trying to sort it out before we rang.

I then rang our GP Surgery and managed to get an appointment on 13th March, which was the earliest they could give me, but at least I will be seeing my own doctor, which is always a bonus.  

Then we had two Bags of Hope to deliver - the first one was to a new man we had contacted yesterday and he was very grateful - we had a lovely chat with him on his doorstep and I gave him one of my little wooden hearts.  As we left, I spotted this little crocus just outside his fence, so stopped to take a photograph.  It made me think that it was tenacious - there were no others around it, only rotting leaves and a broken down fence, but against all the odds, it was blooming.  What a lesson to be learned - that even in the darkest times, if we keep going, we can “bloom” where we are planted.

We then went to deliver the next bag to the Spanish couple we have been delivering to for a couple of weeks now.  I had learned how to say “Good Morning” in Spanish, so when they both came to the door, I think they were quite surprised to hear me say “Buenos días” and we then communicated via a new App I found called DeepL, which seemed to work better than Google Translate.  We had quite a conversation on their doorstep, and of course, I gave them each one of my little wooden hearts.  They asked me about English classes at the Church, via the app of course, so I was able to tell them that they are held at 1 o’clock on a Monday but as they have children at school, it may be difficult for them to attend - but I will make more enquiries for them.  It would mean them catching two buses to get across town, but I guess if they really want to learn, they will find a way. 

We usually deliver four bags, so next week may be our last delivery to them - and I shall miss their smiling faces.  We don’t know exactly where they are from, but they seem quite happy and it’s good to have the technology to be able to communicate with them.  

When we got back in the car, I asked Mr. HCB if he thought we would cope if we were living in a place where we knew no-one and couldn’t speak the language?  Being more outgoing than he is (hard to believe, I know!) I’m sure we would cope, but it would be difficult;  however, I would like to think that we would be tenacious, persistent and determined, just like this little crocus, and of course, it’s my favourite colour!

Unbelievably, when we went to Morrisons on our way home to buy some milk, who should we bump into but the first man we had delivered a Bag of Hope to this morning - we recognised one another and he said that we had made his day!  How lovely is that?

It’s a busy day for me, as I am going to visit a friend in hospital this afternoon - just hope the rain and hail stops before I go!

“We may live in an age of instant messaging,
     instant gratification and Instagram, 
          but there is no way to short-circuit 
               the path to success. 
It takes hard work, 
     tenacity and
          patience.”
Tory Burch : American Fashion Designer, Businesswoman and Philanthropist