Friday, January 23, 2015

Where I’ve been

There are a lot of vile bugs swanning around in north Derbyshire and Sheffield this winter, and on Tuesday I came down with one. I am not complaining: I am just explaining why I haven’t posted. My head’s been too thick with snot to think.

This was the view from the bedroom window on Tuesday:

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Yesterday I managed to work, despite the ever-present snot. And I also read Late Fragments by Kate Gross. I read it in one sitting, something that is rare for me, especially when the book is non-fiction. It’s the beautifully written memoir of a 36 year old woman who died of cancer a month ago. It is sad but not gloomy. It is moving, inspiring, and above all, life-affirming. It is honest, not cheesy. It is more about living, and how to live, than it is about dying.

The sub-title of the book is Everything I want to tell you (about this magnificent life) – which should give you a clue about the general tenor. If you read just one book this year make it this one. It’s about love and friendship and the importance of paying attention to the wonder all around you; and the last paragraph of the book is the Raymond Carver poem Late Fragment

And did you get what

you wanted from this life, even so?

I did.

And what did you want?

To call myself beloved, to feel myself

Beloved on the earth.

 

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2 comments:

galant said...

The whole country must be covered in snot by now, the amount of colds and coughs doing the rounds, Sue! I do hope you will soon feel 100% better. We've had it here, down in Torbay, and The Cough has been the worst one I've ever known. But hey-ho, spring really is just around the corner, the street lights don't come on now until gone 5 pm (even on quite dull days). Today we managed a walk by the sea and I wore only a polo neck jumper and a thick Crew jacket-style cardigan, with scarf and gloves (yes, of course jeans on the bottom half, and boots.)
Margaret P

Sue Hepworth said...

Hi Margaret, when at it's peak, the virus made me feel as though my head had been injected with so much snot it was in danger of bursting. Also, if I talked to someone for ten minutes on the phone, the snot made me feel I was suffocating. I am over the worst, thanks, though it lingers. Someone I know has had it for a month. I hope I don't follow suit.
I hope your awful cough has gone.
yes - the light! the light! it is still light here at 4.30. which is wonderful.