A gaze across the years

We pay an unplanned visit to G’s mum today - it’s such a treat for her to see Lili for the second time. 

Mair is days away from her 95th birthday, Lili is four months old today. The years between them cover almost a century of time, with changes almost impossible to comprehend. Mair was born in Birkenhead- strangely the same town as little Lili who was born in Arrow Park Hospital. She  grew up on the Wirral in a Welsh chapel community - such was the influx of the rural Welsh employed as gardeners and servants in the houses of wealthy merchants and bankers along the shores of the Mersey. 

We look at the photograph of the chapel outing to Hoylake when she was seven - taken just along the coast from Lili’s home (foolishly I forget to copy it) - a little girl with ribbons in her hair. Ten when the war broke out, she was for a time evacuated to the family village home of Llanelidan, the place that gave her the middle name of Elidan. We hope and pray for more peaceful times ahead. 

A century apart, yet there they sit, gazing into one another’s eyes, Mair’s arthritic hands reaching out to touch the smoothness of Lili’s baby face; a precious moment. 

Apologies, it’s been a full weekend and I’ve had neither the time or energy to look at blips - hopefully I’ll catch up!