Respect

Walking the dog provides an excellent opportunity for ruminating and mulling over all sorts of things. This afternoon I realised just how few are the people I really respect, and how the person I most respect is probably my cousin's husband.

My cousin (I shall call her L) was diagnosed about five years ago as having multiple sclerosis and we have watched as the condition has progressed to the stage where she has difficulty in walking about the house even with a wheeled walking aid. She spends most of her day in an armchair in the kitchen. Meanwhile, her husband (J) has to manage the farm, butcher the deer, cows and sheep, tend the farm shop, do the cooking and laundry, and generally look after L. And he does this with such patience - even managing to fit in chairmanship of the parish council.

What triggered this train of thought was the fact that earlier today I came very close to losing patience with the Dearly Beloved over something quite trivial but, in the nick of time, I remembered that what had so annoyed me was something that she couldn't help. It was a result of her medical problem. Oh, how I could do with some of J's patience!