a partner church in the WOLDSBURN benefice
CHURCH AT KIRKBURN
http://www.churchatkirkburn.org.uk/page 29.html childhood memories Audrey Baxter 14/9/07 12/11/08
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I wonder if today’s grandparents will be remembered in quite the same way as those in times long past. The way of life has changed for us now, witrh travel and transport being so easy, encouraging people to move to pastures new for more opportunities. Years gone by, families stayed in and around their birthplace, and did not stray far afield to find a marriage partner. Visiting grandparents was quite simple, often within walking distance.
Sad to say many miles separate families nowadays, and grandparents find visiting the young ones someting of an effort: impossible in some cases if the destination is at the other end of the country or worse still, at the other side of the world. Speaking on the ‘phone or other methods of communication is not the same. Those of us who can remember our grandparents can recall long stays with them during summer holidays, and being taken on country walks or visits to the seaside, all the time chatting with granny or grandpa’ and hearing tales of their own childhood. A simple pleasure for me was taking a fishing net an a jam jar to the river and catching tiddlers - tiny fish, but the poor things didn’t live long after being caught. Best of all was licking an icecream cornet on the wau home, or putting a coin into a slot machine eagerly awaiting a small bar of chocolate. One of my grandmothers was very fond of quoting words of wisdom to us such as, “don’t put it down, put it away”, and, if were reluctant to carry out an irksome task - “do it, and it’s done”. She had a good memory for poetry and to finish here is one I can still remember, it must be very old, its composer unknown. It tells of “Abou Ben Adhem”, I wonder if anyone else has heard of it ?
Abou ben Adhem (may his tribe increase)
awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,
and saw within the moonlight in his room
making it rich and like a lily in bloom
an angel, writing in a book of gold.
Exceeding peace had made ben Adhem bold
and to the presence in theroom he said
“ what writest thou?”. The vision raised
and with a look made all of sweet accord
answered “the names of those who love the Lord”
“And is mine one” asked Abou. “Nay, not so”
replied the angel. Abou spoke more low
but clearly still, and said “I pray thee then,
write me as one who loves his fellow men”
The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night
it came again with a great awakening light,
and showed the names who love of God has blest
and lo, ben Adhem’s name led all the rest
Sad to say many miles separate families nowadays, and grandparents find visiting the young ones someting of an effort: impossible in some cases if the destination is at the other end of the country or worse still, at the other side of the world. Speaking on the ‘phone or other methods of communication is not the same. Those of us who can remember our grandparents can recall long stays with them during summer holidays, and being taken on country walks or visits to the seaside, all the time chatting with granny or grandpa’ and hearing tales of their own childhood. A simple pleasure for me was taking a fishing net an a jam jar to the river and catching tiddlers -
Abou ben Adhem (may his tribe increase)
awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,
and saw within the moonlight in his room
making it rich and like a lily in bloom
an angel, writing in a book of gold.
Exceeding peace had made ben Adhem bold
and to the presence in theroom he said
“ what writest thou?”. The vision raised
and with a look made all of sweet accord
answered “the names of those who love the Lord”
“And is mine one” asked Abou. “Nay, not so”
replied the angel. Abou spoke more low
but clearly still, and said “I pray thee then,
write me as one who loves his fellow men”
The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night
it came again with a great awakening light,
and showed the names who love of God has blest
and lo, ben Adhem’s name led all the rest
Audrey Baxter