Ascension : News From The Grotto - Thought For The Week
Submitted by The Islander (Shari Parkhill) 15.10.2009 (Article Archived on 29.10.2009)

It’s good to be back on Ascension, after a nice, long vacation back home in Canada.

It’s good to be back on Ascension, after a nice, long vacation back home in Canada.  Although I had a great time visiting with friends and family, especially my special little grandson, there were also some issues that needed to be dealt with.  I’m sure everyone has experience with this.  But all in all it was a nice vacation, surrounded by many of the people I love.

               As I drove up to my son Ryan’s new house on my last evening, through thick forests tinged with the glorious colours of autumn in Canada, I started to think about special places.  Ryan and his fiancé Jessica have recently moved to a wonderful area of rural New Brunswick, next door to her parents.  They are wonderful people, and I am so pleased that little Dominik will grow up so close to his Grandma and Bumpy.  They adore him, and he will be showered with love.

               Their homes are way out in the “country”, well past the city of Fredericton, in a little place called Burtt’s Corner.  When you get to the village, you turn onto a side road, drive 3 ½ kilometres to the very end of the road.  You pass fields and forests, and the asphalt (such as it is) ends half way up the road.   There, at the very end of the dirt road, set in amongst the trees sit two lovely houses.  This is where my grandson will grow up.

               As a child, I spent all my summers in the country, close to where my house is now.  For the rest of the year I was a big city kid, and how I loved to get away from the noise and the confusion, and spend time in such a special place.  It is why, when looking for a home in New Brunswick, I returned to this area.  My cousins, who lived most of the year in another big city, have also returned.  We still talk about all the wonderful times we had there as children.

               Everyone should have their very own special place.  To many it is where they grew up, or where they plan to retire, or somewhere they discover on the journey between the two.  For many of the people on Ascension, we have special places somewhere else on the planet.  If we are lucky, we have more than one.  For me, Ascension is also a very special place.  I know that it is for so many others, no matter how much or how little time they live here.  It will always live on in their memory as a terrific place to have spent a part of their lives.

               Lots of little places are special to us as well.  While home, I went with a friend to Fundy National Park and Cape Enrage.  These are places that are special to me as well.  Not only will the natural beauty take your breath away, they were a place of refuge during a difficult time in my life.  I went camping and hiking there for a week, and had a chance to find some peace and solitude.  At Cape Enrage I also challenged myself and went rappelling down a very steep cliff!  As most of you are aware, I have a rather paralyzing fear of heights, and it was something that I just wanted to prove to myself that I could do.  Looking out at the cliff this time, and peering down from the deck where you launch yourself off from (closed for the season, so luckily I didn’t feel compelled to repeat the experience!) I was amazed that I had actually done it.  But the memories triggered in such vivid detail were nice, if somewhat still terrifying, to recall.

               God gives us these special places, to bring a joy and peace to our lives.  I feel blessed to have such special places that I call home, Long Reach and Ascension Island.  And now Burtt’s Corner, where my precious grandson will grow up.  I’m sure I’ll spend lots of time there!  Along the way, I’ve discovered places like Cape Enrage that are beautiful and special.  Some I’ll be fortunate to revisit, some I will probably never pass through again.  But they will live on in my memory, and have added a richness to my life.

               Special places might be naturally beautiful, they may just be a peaceful spot you can meditate in, they may be a place where your loved ones reside.  If we are lucky, we will continue to discover more special places for as long as we are on this earth.  What makes them special is individual to each of us.  But always remember to appreciate your special places.  Take care of them,, and thank God each and every day for the wonderful discoveries of our very own special places.

               May God bless us always, and lead us to our special places to find friendship, happiness, and most of all, peace.