Life is Good

Eirwen is a Welsh farmer who has lived in the Cambrian Mountains all his life. He has spent the summer exploring ancient woodland in search of fallen boughs and other timber he can transform into fuel for people like me, and his brown face and hands reflected the many hours he has spent with the elements. He is a man of few words, but we talked peacefully together about his life since I last saw him, as the logs cascaded out of his trailer. As he spoke of the wood and the weather, his work and this place, there was a reassuring sense of continuity and timelessness in the pattern of his life and in his roots going back centuries. He uses machinery for his business, but other than that he does what his father and grandfather did before him, and what his children are likely to do after him. “Life is good”, he said, and he meant it. His computer is a battered child’s school notebook that he showed me, he takes no holidays away, and being on the land, with his family and in his community, give him all his pleasure. His life is simple, but perfect for him. Talking with Eirwen was like being in another age – but it is like that often in this remote part of Wales. The confused, busy world beyond us has activity such as wars, disease and referenda that may impact us one day, and that we know are important, but for today and perhaps tomorrow, life is good. It is easy to get caught up in the brouhaha of conflict and drama to such an extent that we fail to see the truth of our own lives: that truth can be sad and one of suffering for some people, but for others there is love, friendship, and beauty all around us – but we are so preoccupied with gazing afar, we fail to see the grace that is ours. My life is  good, and I am so grateful for it - and for the reminder. Is yours, I wonder?   [byline]  ]]>