This is what I missed

Posted by Tania Kindersley.

Too tired to tell you of my trip now, but here is the visual welcome home I got on my return.

Look, look what happened whilst I was away:

And here are the trees and the hills and the colours and the light:

Oh, and someone is just sitting there giving me the look that says How could you survive away from this much beauty?:

I mean, really:

That's quite enough of that. Time for stick action:

Yeah, yeah, THE STICK. Throw it. It's too much FUN:

See? You don't have this much fun in the stupid old south, do you?:

They don't have hills either, where I went. This is the one I missed:

It was a good trip. I felt useful, which is a very important feeling for me. I suddenly realise it is a tremendous privilege when someone needs you to do something for them, and you can really do it. No ifs or buts or half-measures or temporising or trimming: you can just damn well do it. It's one of the great feelings of the world. It's like getting a present, the gift of your own usefulness. I sometimes feel pointless and feckless and hopeless and useless, as I imagine all humans do, from time to time. So the last six days were the antidote to that, and I don't take that for granted for a single moment.

It's funny; it's been a strange few months, for many reasons. All my sinews have been stretched. But just now, there is an awful lot of love. And you know that as long as I have love and trees, I am all right. So I feel very, very lucky.

And, of course, highly delighted to be back amongst the Dear Readers. You were so very kind to wait.