Day: August 17, 2026

Hi my friend,

I hope the summer has been good for you despite the withering heat. I wonder sometimes why we ignore all these weather changes – sometimes I get the feeling that everyone is exhausted and are resigned to indifference with an edge. That isn’t what I want to write about – I’m sorry for being off topic in the first paragraph..

C.S. Lewis wrote “Friendship is born at the moment when one man says to another, ‘What? You too?” In 2013, I wrote about my friend Simon (Simonmarsh.org). We had known about each other for years already and used to muse what it would look like if we sat on the porch with a coffee and tried to catch up on every topic – it would be a long discussion.

Andy and I were in Scotland a few weeks ago – Andy to golf on every course that had a history; me to marvel at the stories and architectural history and delight in the people I met. But for me, the highlight was meeting Simon face-to-face. He met me in the hotel lobby, and we knew each other right away. Ok, he was a little taller than I imagined, but his smile I would have recognized anywhere.

So conversations occurred organically with little interruption – there was so much to say. I got to fall in love with the Edinburgh that Simon loves, and felt as if I had been given a gift. He has retired from his tenure as a parish priest though there is a whisper of his devotion to one and all. Is it sacred? Yeah, I think it so. We spoke about peace, the fundamental differences in our religions somehow seemed manageable – especially if one starts with a foundation of love. Sappy? Maybe a little.

A few short days after we got home Simon sent me a message that his mom had passed. His moments with her were moments he cherished, leaving one to believe that she was a fantastic woman who was deeply loved. I was glad to be there during some of those hard, hard days. That’s what friends do.

We laughed a lot, wept over the state of the U.S., delighted to hear about a woman he has fallen in love with, his kids, my kids, grandchildren. I got to see how Simon spends his day and walks gently upon this earth. I don’t know if we’ll see each other again, but he is safe and treasured in my mind’s eye.

So was this serendipity? Kismet? I’d like to think this was going to happen no matter what – that the universe aligned in a fantastic way. Perhaps the circumstances are irrelevant, the fact that it happened is amazing to me.

So we return to emails and poetry and updates and be grateful. Sending thank yous to friends near and far and those that may be. Have a great day. Hugs, Mimi