The deeper meaning behind Harry’s shed...

COLIN shared the message with us, both for its sincerity and its cheek. It was from a young woman. For the past couple of years, he had been quietly helping her get her family back on an even keel. Now she was moving to another area and a better life.

The message was full of thanks and ended with: “If I’d had a dad, I’d have wanted him to be like you. Or grandad, maybe! LOL!”

The others laughed because he’s nowhere near old enough to be a grown woman’s grandad. But I’d heard the catch in his voice as he read the first five words: “If I’d had a dad.”

You see, Colin never knew his dad either. He never had that role model. But, somehow, wonderfully, he had managed to fill that role for someone else anyway.

“My garden shed was for my stuff,” Harry explained.

“Pretty soon it piled up. There was stuff on top of stuff. Gradually, some of it became unreachable.

“When the floor-space was filled, I took to just throwing things in. Eventually, the padlock rusted because I never went in there.

THE older woman had no teeth so her words were really quite mushy, while the young girl had a serious lisp.

Thinking of how inhibited they might have been, speaking in other circumstances, it was a delight to listen to their happy chatter. It also reminded me of a couple of truths.

The first was that the best way to truly understand anyone’s situation is to put yourself in their place or in a similar situation. And the second truth – from my guess that they were gran and granddaughter – was that love overcomes all obstacles.

Understanding and love – those are worth talking about, however you manage to communicate! IT sometimes seems like she says it all day, every day. As a checkout operator Carol asks every customer: “Would you like a hand with your packing?”

I just happened to be next in the queue when she asked the question one more time. The elderly gent, who didn’t look in the best of health and who was pushing his wife in her wheelchair, stopped and said: “Ohh, yes please! That would be grand!” So, she did.

Afterwards – as I bagged my own shopping – Carol told me: “I will happily say that 99 times to people who don’t need it so I can help the 100th who does.”

That’s what we do when we put kindness into the world. We spread it around in so many places where it might not be needed – just so we don’t miss that one place where it is!

“Then, the grandchildren came along. The shed came down. Stuff was thrown out. A new shed arrived and was filled with garden toys for the little ones. For a few years now it has been tidy and

accessible, because we never know what they might want next.

“And you being you, Francis, you’re going to say the first shed is what happens when you live your life for yourself and the second shed is what happens when you live it for others. Aren’t you?”

He’s been hanging around with me too much, has Harry.

IT’S a road three-year-old Elias regularly takes with his mum and he had to ask eventually.

“What’s that big building, mum?”

“That’s a jail, Elias. The police put people who break the law in there.” “Are they bad people, mum?” “Some are, son, but a lot will have just made bad choices in their lives.”

There was a moment of contemplation then, as if changing the subject, he said: “When we get home, mum, I’m going to give you a big hug!”

“Ohh, darling, that’s really sweet! Any particular reason?”

“Because… that’s a good choice, right?”

Always, Elias. Always.

It’s easy to be happy, And feel that you belong, When everything is fine, And nothing’s going wrong; But surely the greatest pride,

Is to be able to smile, When things get in a muddle,

Just go that extra mile.