Miss Great Britain
This is a photograph I received today of my beautiful god-daughter. I would like to be able to tell her whole story, but it is not my story to tell. Suffice to say that Tirana is decorated with the sculptures by her grandfather, a university professor, and that I am ashamed to say that she spent the first few weeks of her life in a damp wooden hut in England where mildew climbed the walls and single young marauding men made her mother a virtual prisoner.
After living in England, Tirana, and Glifada, they now live happily just outside Venice. My friend works and my beautiful god-daughter learns ballet.
Dear beautiful, clever god-daughter, I wanted to be able to say how very, very proud I am of your Mum. Not only does she look good in a bikini, make the best Greek pastries, moussaka and houmous ever, speak four languages very well, give wonderful beauty treatments, and is a loyal friend, but she has climbed mountains in her path, often with you – her most precious thing – on her back, and come down the other side, sustained by her faith in God and her love for you. Mountains that would have given me severe altitude sickness. I admire her so much.
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September 26, 2007 at 3:47 am
Stavros
What a great privilege to be chosen to be a God-parent and with it comes great responsibility. I suspect you may have had a hand in this happy ending.
As my Irish friends say, May the wind be always at your back and may God always hold all of you in the palm of his hand.
September 26, 2007 at 7:35 am
adifferentvoice
I was no more than a small tree that happened to be growing out of the mountain and which my friend could use to pull herself up on. I’ve learnt (the hard way) that you cannot help someone who does not want to help themselves, however intense the desire to rescue. There were – surprising in such a barren landscape – other bigger trees, too, that offered shelter as well as a handhold. Christian ministers and their wives, as it happened. I have learnt a lot from my friend.
September 28, 2007 at 10:21 am
Ruth
A very beautiful moving piece of writing!
September 28, 2007 at 8:40 pm
adifferentvoice
Thank you, Ruth. Four photographs of my god daughter arrived together with a letter she’d written herself. Lots of meaningful squiggles along the lines, telling me – apparently – that she likes horses very much and would like her Mummy to buy one, but her Mummy thinks they are too big! I suppose it brings back memories of when the girls were that age- it seems hardly any time ago.
October 10, 2007 at 10:11 pm
Fatima
How Sweet!!
It brought tears to my eyes….
Love
Fatima
October 10, 2007 at 10:25 pm
adifferentvoice
Hi Fatima,
Thank you for commenting. If you read my most recent post, you’ll see you are not the only one with tears in your eyes! I feel exhausted by it all.
Love
Margaret
October 10, 2007 at 10:36 pm
Fatima
Hi Margaret,
You still awake! I cannot stop reading your blog! I am seeing you in adifferent light, Only joking….
October 10, 2007 at 10:45 pm
adifferentvoice
Yup, and I was working on my OU maths at 4.30am. Off to bed – it’ll all still be here in the morning …