Storytelling Sunday - -The Gift

Welcome, welcome  - - Did you realise it's the first Sunday in October!! (How did that come around so quickly?) which means of course that is Storytelling Sunday over at Sian's place - where a group of international "yarn spinners" gather to exchange tales. This year Sian asked us to seek out those things that are precious in our eyes - and full details can be found at High in the Sky - and share their story - and oh my what interesting stories that has lead us too! For myself, my items have triggered lots of memories I am glad to have noted down, but this month I couldn't think what to write about, but sitting in my "crafty place" I noticed something whose story does need to be recorded.

The seat on the kitchen settle, the one built into the alcove by the Rayburn, is warm and comfortable and my fingers are busy with the cards I am making for two of my friend's birthdays later this week. Outside the window is the trill of birdsong and the flurry of wings as the small birds flit between the feeders in the garden. As I finish my second card and turn to restore my photos to the folder I catch sight of the box that lives on the settle.
It is only a matter of 16 months since it became mine, a gift from R---. She brought it with her when she came to see me in late June 2012, yet it will forever trigger this memory - -

A March evening - 2001
The knock at the door was unexpected - - we hadn't lived here at Ballamaddrell very long, and didn't know anyone who might call on us at this time of an evening. I went to the door and opened it to find two (slightly apprehensive and a little giggly) schoolgirls - - strangers to me definitely - though I knew they must be pupils at the Secondary School where I worked - and were probably about 14 . They looked at each other, then chorused " Can Ben come out?"
My son poked his head through the lounge door into the hallway "Can I go out mum? Please?" What else could I say but  "yes"! I realised that the girls must have been in his class in what was to Ben then, a new school - - and it made me happy to think that he was finding friends - he seemed to have a gift for it - -
That was the first time I really met R--- and A----, they "called for" Ben every night after that. A---- was his first "girlfriend" and R--- became one of his best friends, certainly his best friend among the girls in his circle of friends, though he remained on good terms with A---- even when they ceased to be an "item". When I think of R--- knocking on our door, I have to smile as she was the shyest child imaginable - they must have given each other courage on that dark March evening.

So - though R--- gave me the box when I lost my boy, with it's memorabilia contents of tickets, programmes, festival IDs etc that he had attended with R---, A---- and the rest of his amazing group of friends - - and I can't open its secret lock without falling apart - so you will forgive me if I don't share the contents - - - seeing it reminds me of that March night - when two young girls knocked on the door because they liked my son. So it is a doubly precious gift -  for the memory it brings to mind and for what it contains..... And with that thought - I had better make a pot of tea - - - I can stick the bits back on more successfully then

Thanks for dropping in - there will be so many stories around today - do pop over to High in the Sky to read more.

'til later,


Bannaghtyn,  J x