The world seems very bright again, this morning, with the sun rising at 06:26 and the white snow reflecting its light. It is going to feel like Spring today, because the air temperature's forecast to rise above zero mid-morning and will continue rising to +6, for the first time in months, marvellous. We have not had as bad a winter as I'd feared, this year, and I and most of my friends have raved about its beauty.
The dark side to this season is that too many people have been lost, or distressed. One friend had news of her mother succumbing to the coronavirus in hospital in Saudi Arabia. Goodness knows when the funeral will be allowed. Yesterday another friend of mine tearfully told a small group of us that her sister was taken to hospital in Milan suffering from Covid a week ago; she had heard nothing since. Yesterday was a bad day for news of this kind. I heard of someone's husband whose health is deteriorating to a worrying extent and of a woman suffering a chronic condition which prevents her from moving --- that stopped the flow of conversation too. Midday I had to cancel a meeting I should have hosted because a sudden bereavement prevented the chief participant from attending. Shock upon shock. Towards the end of the day Chris and I had news that an admirable, frail but determined old gentleman from the flying club (a couple of weeks ago Chris was helping him to clear his plane of snow to prepare it for another solo flight!) has just died too, we don't yet know how. In his case we are at least aware that he lived his life intensely and well, right to the end.
Somehow I must keep my mental balance in the face of this fragility. I shall go for another walk this morning and keep a look out for transient miracles, for as long as I can.
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