My mother died in April, one of the first wave of those lost to Covid 19. Today would have been her birthday. I planted the above scrambler rose (called Open Arms) in her memory together with a purple one, as she was affectionately known as ‘The Purple Lady’- purple being her favourite colour.

One day I might reflect on her loss, but for today it just seems right to add her own words, written on the title page of her autobiography entitled Stepping Stones.

In the fullness of time we shall have eternity. But for the present we have only our days.. our precious, precarious, perishable, unrepeatable, few days. Days that are our stepping stones into the life of God and thereby, into our own meaning and destiny. We have no other stepping stones, only these days. We have the privilege of using them as they come to us from the hands of God. They are ours, and we must take responsibility for them before the face of God. He has conveniently placed them for us, spacing them just about perfectly at 365 steps each year.

She added the verse from Psalm 90. v.12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we might gain a heart of wisdom’

Mum used every day she was given to bless others, right up to that last wobbly ‘stepping stone’ on to the other side of the bank. I only hope I can do the same.

Happy Birthday Mum. What a party there will be today in Heaven!