March 16, 2012          From a dear friend in UK:  Hazel of Old Windsor   

Hazel taught English with me at a school in China 2002 - 2004.  
Many photos of those happy days can be found
by putting "Hazel" into Google search at top of www.china8.org 

Thank you Hazel for a really lovely article.
I hope you can send more like this please. 
No need to worry about the erudite stuff!

Habits we lay down in our lives follow through into old age

Dear John

Been thinking all sorts erudite theological thoughts about Lent and Easter but haven't had time to actually write them.
But this is something that happened to me:

Every Wednesday I take Communion into our local Old People's Care Home. Last week as one of our parishioners had a dreadful cold, she asked me to take Communion to her parents who had just moved into this home. They were a delightful couple, Sally and Sean, with strong Irish connections, very frail, both in their nineties and having difficulties in taking everything in. I extracted them from the lounge and took them into their room, where they sat side by side on the settee they had obviously brought from home. We enjoyed a lovely little Service which they joined in and took Communion very reverently, and both of them were absolutely "with it" about what was going one. Afterwards I called the carer to take them back into the lounge so they could mix with the other residents, and she said that she had seen them every morning, sitting hand-in-hand praying together - I think she was a Filipino as she finished by saying: "Please pray for me"! 

This week, I was able to gather Sally and Sean and take them into David's room. He is an ex-concert pianist who has forgotten how to play the piano. Getting all three together made the Service a little more "important" and, at least to me, more meaningful. Although David has forgotten about playing the piano, he still makes most of the right responses and welcomes me with "my friend" Jesus.

It made me think that the habits we lay down in our lives follow through into old age, (sometimes) regardless of the dementia, and the ninety-years olds are still witnessing to their faith as they continue with the habits laid down many, many years ago. May the good Lord be kind to them and bless them in these failing years. It also made me think we should cling to our religious habits, especially when the going gets tough, in the hope they will carry us through when we can no longer decide for ourselves on our all and every action. 

HAZEL

PS   I'm not sure if it's long enough for what you want but feel free to use it or lose it!