Scotland - an unusual home-coming

Scotland - an unusual homecoming

Well we have just experienced the most wonderful stay with aunts morag and uncle Biren.  We stepped into yesteryear where the simplicity of life in the mountains of kalimpong has been transported into a 100 year old home on House o'hill Terrace in Edinburgh. Their home has expansive rooms- high ceilings with magnificent plaster mouldings painted white against Wedgwood green.  However the grandeur stops there. Uncle and Aunty's simplicity and purity of life makes it into a haven of making the most of things and using everything in these current times of throw away expediency.  Nothing is wasted or thrown away - the garden is lush with plants which  thrive on continuous compost.  Uncle Biren cuts the tiny lawn with a Nepali sickle by hand.  The sickle was given to him by his mother. my grandmother. I spotted  the patch of green in the distance and it looks like a piece of emerald velvet.  Old things are valued, used and re-used as they would be in kalimpong. Papers, plastic, cloths - are cleaned and find a use. Newness is respected  and not overdone! Every apple from the tree in the garden has been saved and stored around the home on available flat surfaces.  They are small red and sour apples- good for cooking.  The process of storing them like this allows them to wither and thus be used throughout the winter months.  However, no expense is spared when it comes to visitors - we were cared for better than royalty - and we will never forget it.

We were fed a beautiful and very hearty curry, Dahl  and rice meal on arrival and in the evening another delicious roast dinner! Aunty Morag is a wonderful Nepali housewife- albeit nearly 6 feet tall and red haired!! it was fascinating to see especially her mother -in-law, (my nepali grandmother)'s influence and mark in this place so distant both in miles and in years. 

We talked and caught up with family news.  They are attentive and very engaged listeners.  They pray for every member of the family ( including our own burgeoning numbers) by name. They say this brings each person to mind and keeps the ties fresh.  On some days this can take them up to 2 hours....It is both deeply touching and  humbling to know you are prayed for daily by two devout 78 year olds. ...

W also had a very brief but lovely visit with my cousin Tembu, his wife Helen and his 6 year old Jayden and little 3 year old twins Jem and &Kiran.  Tembu  is pastoring 3 churches - Episcopal Scottish churches. He wears the robes, but in many other ways is the type of pastor we are familiar with in the Baptist tradition in Australia.  The boys are lovely little fellows and we could have spent hours there.  Hopefully there will be other times soon.

As always, it was a real wrench to leave these beloved people. I came away thinking if we can get to 47 years of marriage with the gratitude, profound respect,peace, understanding and love that Uncle and Aunty have with each other- life will have been truly well-lived.