Shades of Grey

At heart, I am a hot-weather person. I love the freedom of only needing to wear one layer of clothing, possibly with bare feet, and knowing that you’ll be comfortable that way all day. 

Scotland is not a good fit for me in this regard. Here, I am already in my winter three-layer garb, which apart from hiding any unwelcome bulges has no other redeeming value. It is time-consuming to get dressed in the morning and undressed at night. Going out to walk the dog requires another two layers (fleece and wind-proof), knit hat, gloves, warm boots. I know, it sounds like the Arctic but I just prefer to be totally warm rather than slightly shivery at the start of a walk.

Having said that, the longer I live here (which is now over half of my life!) the more I appreciate the beauty of the place. I guess I may have commented on this before. Certainly my children quote me at times for voicing the thought that grey skies can be beautiful.

I hasten to clarify, not the solid weepy curtain of foggy cloud that crouches on the hill tops some days, but the variegated shades and textures and shapes I see in the skies most days. The light has a different quality here, and the way it plays on the clouds and brings out the various shades is endlessly changing and lovely. Throw in a rainbow every so often and it’s breath-taking in its own way.

A song just popped into my head – a song from the 60s. ‘Everything is beautiful, in its own way...’ How true that is. 

God, give me the eyes to see past my preconceived ideas to the beauty of landscape, of cityscape, of individuals. Thank you that yours is a perfect creation, marred for a time but redeemed by you and destined one day to reflect all the beauty that is you. Thank you for giving me an appreciative heart. May I grow to appreciate the world around me more every day. Amen.