Connecting

<p>Lives hold promise and promises. Keeping one promise might mean breaking another for life is anything but simple. I had promised myself I would not go back to England – or if I did I would stay there. I did not want to pull myself up by the roots to leave it again. But I also promised Stephen that I would go anywhere with him. We had often spoken of going to England – his daughter still lived there – but we were both mindful of my promise to myself and why I made it. When the opportunity came along for us to go to Scotland to fulfil Stephen’s long-held dream to explore Scotland by train I took a deep breath and said ‘Yes let’s go.’ Then his daughter moved from England to the Netherlands so inevitably our trip was extended. I was troubled that I had broken my promise to myself. But things never turn out as we think they will. In making this trip I found my life had become like a Celtic knot. I found my place again in my childhood family and in the world. It is said that home is where the heart is and that proved to be true for me. <em>Connecting</em> is not a holiday travelogue. It tells how I made connections – connections that unified a lifetime’s experiences.</p>