The Olive Shoots and the Fruitful Vine

Colin was the first to go, leaving Friday evening so he could get to the wedding of a friend in Oxford. Next, Sharon, early morning Saturday, after a frantic night of shopping in the Outlet stores in Alcochete, packing and repacking, weighing and reweighing. Well, she’s got the furthest to go. Finally yesterday evening, Judith left for London. And so ended a wonderful week and a half with family again.

Makes me think about Psalm 128 again, which talks about being blessed within the context of family. The fruitful vine and the olive shoots around your table. “Blessed (and prosperous) is the man who fears the Lord”. And here’s Colin moving on from BEng to MEng in aeronautics, and more positive in every way about study and work and the prospects ahead, Judith settling in to life in London and establishing her social networks, and Sharon blossoming in her photographic creativity and getting more and more opportunities in Bangalore.

I cannot but thank God in his goodness in blessing us with these three, three whom I enjoy hanging out with, whose conversations are fascinating, stimulating and funny, and three whom I’ve grown to appreciate more and more with every year of their lives. So this was a summer week with visits to Belem and Alfama, to Troia and Caparica, jazz, blues and fado, watching the sun go down by the Rio Tejo. Great memories!