It’s been a tough few months
since Christmas.
Some friends and relatives have died
and others are seriously ill.
These last few months
have felt very dark.
As I leave work
one spring afternoon
the sky is grey,
I am buffeted by the wind
and assailed by driving rain.
Somehow this harsh spring weather
complements perfectly
these difficult past few months.

Turning a corner
I see a young couple
taking photos of the Titanic Museum
while their three toddlers
(who might even be triplets)
merrily run around their feet,
nearly tripping their parents up.
The toddlers are all dressed
in brightly-coloured rain coats
with matching wellies
and hats.
Oblivious to the driving rain
these youngsters run and jump,
splashing their way
through the puddles.

These lively youngsters,
in their brightly-coloured wellies,
are like a ray of sunshine
in my dark world.
For them
this is not a cold, wet, spring day –
this is an adventure!

Thank you, Lord,
for the gift of energetic youngsters
in their colourful wellies
who brighten up our lives
when the world feels
like a dark place.

© Claire Murray, 16th March 2018