HOUR 9 - CHECK IN HOUR
IN IT TOGETHER
TOGETHER WE WILL BE O.K.
RESOURCES
SHORT REFLECTION
Many years ago, Pappi Ogane, a young man from a township in South Africa came, for a few months, as one of the first volunteers in the founding of the L’Arche Community in Belfast. During a time of painting rooms. sewing curtains and planting seeds we shared many ‘growing up’ stories, different, in almost every way, from one another.
I remember lots of things about Pappi but 2, in particular, stand out. He had 3 sisters who were named Patience, Comfort and Mercy. “What amazing names”, I thought, and I wondered if their characters were shaped accordingly. Secondly, Pappi’s relationship with time and mine were so different that we struggled to find common ground when it came to community planning. It became so irritating for both of us that one day we went out for a coffee to ‘thrash it out’. After 2 hours of sharing our experiences and expectations around time-keeping, Pappi laid his hand on mine, looked into my eyes, and said “don’t worry Maria - together we will be alright” and of course we were!
I’ve remembered that phrase, many times during the lockdown:
-Whenever neighbours and friends offered to do my shopping because I had a virus (not covid 19!),
-Whenever I baked banana bread and lemon drizzle cake for my neighbours (my capacity to eat cake is not the same as my renewed love of baking!)
-Whenever we stood outside our homes on Thursday nights clapping for the NHS and lingering to chat, making sure that we were all doing O.K.
-Whenever I lazily passed the time with people on my road and gathered lots of gardening, hair cutting, and baking tips!
-Whenever I drank coffee or wine here in my own home and connected to people from here, there and everywhere online in Connect Café.
-Whenever I walked in Stormont Park and the trees and wildflowers showed off magnificently in the sunshine to delight me!
-Whenever one small bird perched on the telegraph wire outside my bedroom window reminding me to greet another new day and to sing out loud!
Living alone, I’m not sure that I would have made it through these past few months by myself were it not for the fact that we were all in it together.
Trees, birds, flowers and people - we were shelter for one another in a myriad of tiny ways and as Pappi prophesied 20 years ago, we came to know for sure that:
“Together we will always be alright”
GIVE ME YOUR HAND
(Gaelic - Tabhair Dom do Lámh)
Just give me your hand,
Tabhair dom do lámh.
Just give me your hand
And I'll walk with you,
Through the streets of our land,
Through the mountains so grand.
If you give me your hand.
Just give me your hand,
And come along with me.
Will you give me your hand,
And the world it can see,
That we can be free,
In peace and harmony?
From the north to the south.
From the east to the west.
Every mountain, every valley,
Every bush and birds nest!
By day and night,
Through all struggle and strife,
And beside you, to guide you,
Forever, my love.
For love's not for one,
But for both of us to share.
For our country so fair,
For our world and what's there.
Tabhair dom do lámh.
Just give me your hand,
For the world it is ours.
All the sea and the land,
To destroy or command.
If you… GIVE ME YOUR HAND
QUESTIONS TO CONTEMPLATE
What have you learned about being ‘in it together’ that you would like to take with you beyond the lockdown?
How do you plan to do that?