For us 2023 was a “year of the grandchildren”. Ella had a lovely wedding with Josh in April; and we have enjoyed meeting our great-grandson Ziggy (Jake and Lottie’s son) who was one in October, and Judy’s step-grandchildren. Charlie has just started studying at Fordham University in New York. We were sorry not to see Graham Rachel and him in USA this year, or Clare and Dave in New Zealand. We think our days of long-distance travel are coming to an end.
One highlight of the year was to take a narrowboat up the Llangollen Canal for a week. After a stormy first day we had lovely sunlight, beautiful Welsh scenery, and two high aqueducts to cross. It was quite hard work and more suited to under-seventies than over-eighties like ourselves! But it left us with lovely memories.
The first book we have written together, Inner Healing, Inner Peace, was published in the Quaker Quicks series and has been well reviewed. In May John led a course on Shakespeare’s Cymbeline at Charney Manor. In July we led a course at Glenthorne Quaker Guest House on Music as Spiritual Nourishment and went on to our friend Remley who has moved to a lovely part of Northumberland. And in September we stayed in a cabin in Wales and took the train up Snowden. John decided to walk down the mountain, a mistake because the rain made it slippery underfoot and he had a hard time.
Our dear friend Mary from The Gambia, whom Diana befriended for our local hospice, began to deteriorate after ten years of chemotherapy. With financial help from friends we were able to bring her sister Sophie over from Africa for two visits, and give them several outings together. But in September she was admitted to hospital and we were with her when she gently died on 6 October. As her executor, John had to organise her funeral and the clearing of her flat.
We are deeply concerned about the continuing war in Ukraine as there seems so little common ground on which negotiations could be built. And now the horrifying war in Gaza is displacing it from public attention; We have both been in Gaza too, so we can picture what is happening there. We have many dear friends in Ukraine, and are amazed by their courage and efforts to mitigate the suffering of old people and children. We try to encourage them. Our friend Alla wrote very recently,
Ukrainians did not attack Russia, it is Russia that wants to regain its former glory. This is imperialist thinking in people's heads. It's scary. I do not understand why the world community is pushing Ukraine to sign a peace treaty. Why the world community is not arguing with Putin about it. Ukraine wants justice. Ukrainians don't want Russia's land. They are fighting for their home. And they have a legal right to do so. If Ukrainians lose this war, it will mean that in this world, whoever is stronger will be in the right. The concept of "peace" will be formal, which can be manipulated in favour of the strongest.
For me, peacemaking is the union of mercy and justice. It's about wisdom and beauty.