Eggciting times
Give thanks for the miracle of life that can come from a humble egg
This year, Easter is in April, with warmer, longer days.
One of the benefits of the lengthened days is that hens begin to lay eggs in earnest. As a former keeper of chickens, (although sadly not now following a visit by Mr Fox and his family!), we would have such an abundance of eggs that, if anyone came to visit, they were not allowed to depart unless they took some eggs home with them!
Daylight triggers the hormones required to enable the production of eggs and as if by magic, each morning we would find smooth brown eggs in the hay of the nest boxes.
Tradition
Shrove Tuesday and St. David's Day - two of many March traditions
Following the darkness and cold of the winter, March is an explosion of activity with the awakening of nature and preparation for another tourist season in our communities.
In terms of what happens in the church, March is a busy month too. It begins on the first day with the commemoration St David. This year Lent begins on the fifth, on Ash Wednesday. Of course for pancake lovers everywhere, Shrove Tuesday precedes Ash Wednesday with the traditional custom of using up flour and eggs that at one time would have been given up for the fast of Lent.
On the 25th of the month, we remember the visit of the Angel Gabriel to Mary in Nazareth, who announced to her that she would bear a child who would be Jesus Christ, (also known as the Annunciation). We then end the month with Mothering Sunday on 30th, which also ushers in British Summer Time.
If you are not exhausted after reading that, meteorological Spring begins on 1st March, while the Spring Equinox falls on 20th and farmers who rent land use Lady Day, 25th March to make payments for rent.
Candlemass
Two thousand years ago, I wonder what it was like for Jesus as he came to terms with who he really was.
One Christmas, I was caught completely by surprise when I was given an envelope, in which contained the details of someone who would research some of my family history – my ancestors for me. Anyone who has ever watched the television series, ‘Who do you think you are?’ will understand the curiosity that a person has in discovering details of long dead ancestors and their stories. I once watched the episode during which the EastEnders actor, Danny Dyer discovered that amazingly, he was descended from William the Conqueror! It was the stuff we dream of. Someone of a very different status and significance.
It made me think about how important it is that we know who we are. For some this comes as a shocking revelation, as the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, found when it transpired that the person he thought was his biological father, Gavin Welby, was in fact his stepfather in April 2016. His mother had had a ‘liaison,’ with Sir Winston Churchill’s last private secretary, Sir Anthony Montague Brown, shortly before her marriage.
Embracing the New
Will the new year be as familiar as a pair of old slippers, or an opportunity for a new beginning?
I wonder how you spent your New Year celebration. Did you have company as you popped a cork and raised a glass to whatever the next year bring? Perhaps you slept through it, oblivious to the fireworks and chanting of the familiar ‘Auld Lang Syne’. For some, it represents a great opportunity to party, while for others, perhaps it seems a poor relation following so hot on the heels of Christmas.
It made me reflect on how we embrace the ‘new’. New year, new relationships, new circumstances, new possessions – I could go on.
To have something new can be wonderful. To do something new stretches us. However, unsurprisingly, there is comfort in the familiar. My dear husband had a couple of new wallets given to him over the years, but he persisted in using the one with the broken catch that fitted perfectly in his back pocket, and I am sure you know what I mean about old slippers
For some, the New Year is an opportunity for a new beginning and the freedom to start again. For others it can be a fearful prospect as they step into the unknown territory of poor health or family breakdown.
Gratitude
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens; Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens; Brown paper packages tied up with strings, - not to mention crisp apple strudels.Last month it seemed that the theme of harvests was appropriate as we began to go into autumn. Ours is not the only society to celebrate the ingathering of produce at the end of the growing season. Bali in Indonesia holds a rice festival between May and June. The Ewe people of Ghana celebrate the end of the rainy season and the appearance of yams, the staple crop in August or September. Sukkoth, or ‘The Feast of Booths’ is a Jewish festival, thanking God for the harvest and acknowledging the special huts that the people of the Exodus lived in while travelling through the wilderness.
Reflecting on this ancient tradition, it is obvious that at the centre of all of these festivals are thanks, gratitude and appreciation of what has been received.
According to UCLA, research shows that practicing gratitude, 15 minutes a day, five days a week – for at least six weeks can enhance mental wellness and possibly promote a lasting change in perspective. In fact, gratitude and its mental health benefits can also positively affect your physical health.
Harvard health tells us that the word gratitude is derived from the Latin word gratia, which means grace, graciousness or gratefulness (depending on the context). Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives. In the process, people usually recognize that the source of that goodness lies at least partially outside themselves. As a result, being grateful also helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals – whether to other people, nature or a higher power.