Second entry

I had just spent two weeks over Christmas with my youngest daughter and for the most part it had been a lovely visit. I hadn't seen her in two years and much of that time she had not been speaking to me, but we had both made a real effort to mend fences, put aside old hurts and grievances and re-define our relationship and I think we both felt better. No, it wouldn't be quite the same relationship we had before, but then in my experience nothing remains the same for an entire lifetime anyway. It seems to that we are always growing and changing, and as we do we invariably do some things that brings censure from at least some of those around us. No perhaps in a perfect world we would all understand that each of us has to follow the path we came here to find, however crazy it might seem -- even to those who love us the most. But then I'm not at all sure there's such a thing as a perfect world anyway. And for those who life in crisp, black and white worlds I think it is probably very hard not to be judgemental, but as for me, I'm convinced that the world is made up of unending shades of gray. Nothing like a cold train station in the middle of the night to start you thinking philosophically.