Time

Uisce from Four Elements by Carol Feller, knit in Debbie Bliss luxury silk dk on 4mm needles

For my neighbour, Lucy

Lucy is a lovely neighbour who, up to a very short time ago, I’d probably have designated as “new”.  I was shocked lately, though, to realise that in fact she’s not “new” at all - doesn't seem possible but already she and her family have been here for three years. And now we're about to lose them - at least as neighbours, if hopefully not friends - because they’re on the brink of moving on to a new life in Belfast…

 Lucy and her family are slightly younger than me and mine, but I've really enjoyed having her about - she’s smart, wonderfully open, honest and direct – the sum of which in my estimation adds up to cool.   I picked this shawlette pattern to make for her not only because of its grace of design, or the fact I felt that Lucy (who is tall) could wear it as a scarf (or any way she likes, for that matter!), but also because it’s from the province of Ulster, where she’s now bound.

When I was growing up, every news bulletin about Belfast seemed to emanate little but tragedy and sadness, and most southerners were in no hurry to go there. Yet now, if ever an example of goodness prevailing were called for, you'd go a long way before you'd better the present-day relish and bounce of Belfast people.  They know all too well what the diametric opposite means, and the magic wrought by time and good people has restored Belfast to its rightful position - somewhere heightened sensibilities can make things really happen in the very best sense.  And with no disrespect to those who suffered, vestiges of hypercaution and other scars of the past can even begin to seem a little funny now   - for instance, a suggestion to take the scenic route might be greeted in certain quarters with a genuinely perplexed:

“Och, why on earth would you want to do that?”;

followed by a proud,

“Sure, why don’t you take the lovely new wee motorway?”  

I wish Lucy and her family good luck in their next adventure and even look forward to being slightly jealous of their new life.