Chance encounters

After a thoroughly miserable few days, cold enough to give you frostbite and wet enough to consider buying a boat, we have sunshine.

SUNSHINE!

And I'm feeling shiny.

What made this sunglasses weather even better was that the playground at the back of our house is finally completed and away came all the safety fences in time for Saturday.  The boys were slightly put out that the diggers had gone (who doesn't love a large machine?) but somewhere new to play kind of makes up for that.....Boy 2 took a while to be convinced of that though.

And there, at the park, I met a very interesting fellow...

Whilst the boys were playing on obstacle courses and jumping over lava, being dinosaurs and experimenting with bouncy flooring (<--Rupert), this old gentleman was walking past and exclaimed to me how wonderful the new playground was compared to the old one.

He asked me which mine were so I pointed at them and said "The three blonde-ish boys". 

"All boys?" he asked...."I thought this wee one was a girl with all that hair".  

Oh Hugo...no matter...nothing will make me cut it off.

We got chatting and I learned his life story...and a very interesting one it was too, but that's not why I'm writing about our encounter.

It turns out that he knew my Grandpa.  My wonderful, kind, generous Grandpa.  It was such a special moment, having this man who I'd never met tell me what a great man he was.

What a rock to the community he was.

How he looked out for those who needed it most.

How highly thought of he was.

How respected.

How missed he is.

I've always known that my Grandpa was a great man.  But to hear it from someone completely detached from me....that was a wonderful thing and I'll hold it with me forever.

Isn't is funny...if we'd gone to the park 30 minutes after we had then I'd never have met him.  If I hadn't walked over to talk to him then I'd never have known what he had to say.  I'm not sure I believe in fate, but it was definitely a pretty awesome happenstance.

I spent the rest of the day feeling warm and fuzzy inside....and still do when I think about it.