Francis Gay

DONALD used to dream of having the perfect garden.

And for a while he put some considerable money and effort into the project. But now he has six grandchildren and his “perfect” garden takes a regular beating. He keeps trying, though.

But when the neighbour’s dog started digging holes in his lawn, that was just too much!

Until, that is, he saw his four-year-old grandson Mark, completely engrossed in filling the holes with his water-gun and floating his toys on the resultant “seas”.

“It’s never going to be a perfect garden,” Donald told me, with a sigh. Then he added: “But it makes the little ones happy – and that’s perfect for me!” LIKE so many others, Jennie voted last week.

On leaving the polling place a supporter of a particular candidate said hello and asked who she voted for.

She told him she had voted for a different party, wondering if he would be annoyed.

But, instead they had a happy chat about the turn-out and the weather. The rain was pouring down. Jennie would be home in a few minutes and he would be out there for hours. But he insisted she take his umbrella.

Later, as she made up a flask of tea to take back to her new friend, Jennie realised it’s not the political differences that cause arguments, it’s how we express them – or don’t.

We can have very different politics, but still be nice people.