Spontaneous Acts of Kindness

I was a true couch potato today - up late, unwashed & unshaved, all day playing cds and messing around with my pictures.

Fatima came around at around 5.30pm and asked me if I waanted to come to their house as they had family around. She knew I was alone and thought I might enjoy the company, bless her.

A quick shower and shave later and I walked in to an extended gathering of two families: Ken's, consisting of three of his four daughters plus spouses & sprogs, and one of Fatima's sisters and her family.

I was made very welcome by one and all and had a lovely time, when my plans for the evening had been to maybe eat something if I could be bothered. I even got to practise my French with Fatima's family.

Here are two of Ken's daughters, who all love him to bits, along with some of the kids. I've no idea who belongs to whom in this picture but it doesn't matter - they were one big happy family. I never did mange to figure out how many people were there but there were kids running around all over the place, having a whale of a time.

It reminded me of our family holidays in France when we were kids and Mum's three sisters and one brother would all come together with their families and we would have one great big raucous chaotic brilliant time. I think that the children here tonight will look back on these gatherings very fondly when they are grown up.

On the subject of families and love (more or less), This is one of the most effective adverts I've ever seen.