Shelter in a Time of Need

The feeling of dread was overwhelming on the day of the funeral. Mother Nature was also in mourning as hundreds of locals gathered to pay tribute to a young father of three, killed in a harrowing car accident, and the skies were dark and ominous.

Before leaving home I had considered but rejected my umbrella; candy-stripes seemed entirely inappropriate. Hoping the rain would ease, I had settled for a black waterproof jacket with a hood. But just the walk from the car was enough to convince me the jacket would be woefully inadequate.

So I pulled my hood closer and joined a line of silent mourners, moving forward to make space for others still arriving. As we shuffled past a sea of black, a woman sheltering close to her partner held an unopened umbrella out to me and attempted to smile.

“What if I can’t find you afterwards?” I asked.

“Does it really matter?” she replied.

A very wet hour later, I found her and returned the umbrella with heartfelt thanks. It was much needed, but the kindness with which it was given even more so.

Carmel Mason