Value what you have!

I read a short story tonight written by one E.W. Hornung who died in 1921 and who was the brother in law to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It was called “A Bowler’s Innings” and was about an old cricketer who was once a renown bowler but was coming to the end of his earthly “innings” and was clearly not the person he once was. A younger man, who had been a great fan of the old bowler in years past, stumbled upon him when he was ill in bed and clearly didn’t have long to go, but this young man was so thrilled at being able to share a few weeks with this well-known and respected cricketer that his enthusiasm reinvigorated the old bowler during his last few weeks of life. It was a comical yet poignant story.

It made me think of my father in law who is really struggling with dementia and is clearly not the same man that he used to be. He also was once a cricketer, a bowler of some note, and, according to some reports, could well have played county cricket for Worcestershire if it hadn’t been for the war. He is 89 later this month and although not necessarily at the end of his earthly innings yet, is beginning to lose his sense of reality and therefore becoming difficult to communicate with.

The young man in the story made the most of his short time with the ageing bowler. We should make the most of the time we have with our relatives and friends for it won’t last forever.

Here endeth the third lesson!!