A few years ago, I read “Enduring Love” by Ian McEwan. The book had a profound effect on me because the premise of a random event having such a strong impact on the lives of the observers stuck a chord with me. It strikes me that random events shape our lives at least as much as the ordered ones that we like to think are dominant.

Anyway, meeting Rosemary on Tuesday was such an event. She could, very easily, have been horrid in so many ways yet she turned out to be a charming woman who shared many of our own philosophies and views.

Many people wouldn’t consider it a draconian response to walk away from a stranded car, indeed I reckon that many would consider NOT walking past as foolhardy, yet I simply couldn’t do that and we made a friend as a result of it.

On the day she left, she pressed this opalite egg into my hand because “crystals are good and this one is full of light”. I had a quick look at what people think Opalite is for and came up with this “Opalite is a wonderfully serene crystal. It is a stone of love, but only rewards faithful lovers. It is said to help form lasting romantic bonds. Opalite is believed to alleviate depression, soothe frayed nerves and help us to step away from anxiety. It is said to bring inner peace and a sense of calm in any situation.” I hope it’s true although I must say that I was cynical about the power of crystals even before I discovered science.

I’m not going to think of this as anything other than a pretty thing, a cracking good gift if you like, given in gratitude but it is rather lovely the way that light shines on and through it.

Since she left our home, she’s telephoned twice, sent us a lovely letter and a gift in the post and today she turned up on the doorstep with an orchid…..all to say thanks for something I considered a moral duty rather than something “good”.

Whatever it was in terms of gesture, it was certainly a pleasure to meet her and I suspect that she’ll go on playing a part in our lives into the future.