Francis Gay

MY WEEK

JOHN is a very practical guy. His neighbour Annie is a lot more “imaginative”. When she decided to turn part of her garden into a tiny nature reserve he just shook his head. Such an idea would never have occurred to him in a million years.

But when she dug a “toad hole” he made a wooden lattice to cover it so the children wouldn’t fall in. When she said a decomposing log would be ideal for shelter and provide bugs for the toads to eat, he carried one home for her. And so on. The end result is a lovely little wilderness garden.

People are different. The problems come when those differences separate us. When we use them to complement each other, that’s when wonderful things happen!

BILLY’S life seems to have been one long round of mostly self-inflicted trouble.

One day he needed help and he asked me get in touch with a certain pillar of the community. It seemed an unlikely relationship, so I messaged first asking if they actually were acquainted.

He replied explaining that he had lost all the names from his phone so he didn’t know who was asking but to anyone who might care to know, Billy was his friend.

I showed the message to Billy and he broke down and wept. Then he stood up with a new resolve. He got himself into a rehab program. Now he has graduated and is building a new – and better – life. All because someone who didn’t need to claimed him as a friend.