Giving Thanks

I am not a religious person. It’s not a political decision – it’s just that it doesn’t make any sense to me and the alternative scientific explanation does. I once read that there was a genetic propensity for faith, so maybe it’s a gene I lack. But I can’t say my life lacks anything else as a result. There are times when I think it must be nice to arrive in a new town and know that the local church will welcome you into an instant community of like-minded people but, apart from that, I’ve never envied people of faith and have been happy in my atheism.

However, there are times when I would like to believe that someone created what is around me and chose to place me in it just because it would be nice to have someone to thank.

I was driving back from West Quantoxhead today, having spent an hour or so planning a wedding at St Audries church and the beautiful St Audries Park with its lovely oh-my-god-I-must-have-one orangery. The road home nestles between the gently undulating Quantocks and the Brendons. The North Somerset Steam Railway meanders alongside, running up to the road for a bit then disappearing, to reappear, often with a friendly poo-woo, when you expect it least. Today the sky glowered with dark grey clouds and threatened rain, but the sun suddenly blasted through and lit up the hills and fields in such astonishingly bright colours that I very nearly ran into the hedge, so distracted was I by the incredible, even for round here, beauty.

Generally I’ve been very fortunate in life – I’ve never had to walk miles for water, scrabble round a rubbish dump for food or even worry much about paying the bills (although, I have lived in Hackney so like to think I am not completely unaware of the uglier side of life)* – but I swear to God (or not) that I will never, ever, become blasé about how lucky I am to live where I do and to grow flowers for a living.

Some would say I was blessed. I prefer “jammy as hell”.

* Yes, I know it’s all been regenerated and bits of it have always been lovely, but still…