Sorcha, I had been missing you and wondering how you been doing, all evening. Had thought about sending you a PM, but then *saw* you here.You asked a question but I doubt you actually want an answer; I think you were venting. If I am wrong we can have lots of lovely nice chats.
But I was stretching to reach your way and failing, in my heart, so I moseyed on over to e-mail to see what was new there, and take some time to think.
One arm reaching your way... and another, as a result of e-mail, suddenly reaching as far in the other direction. I may need to emulate Silly Putty to make the span, if I want to stay connected. *G*
Anyway here is the answer I gave in my e-mail, and the loveliness that evoked it appears below, as I received it.
~S~
I wrote:John, I needed that. I answer you so:
One friend afar grieves sorely the heart;
Another as far next shall bless it.
One friend afar is a soul deep in pain;
Another spins joy just to share it.
We choose the bitter, or we choose the sweet--
Our choices to others we show.
We choose the wind, at our face or our back,
That shall blow us where e'er we may go.~S~
What I had received was:Here is another for your collection Susan.
The Beatitudes of Jesus in Scots English
Syne he gaed round the haill of Galilee, teachin in their meetinhousses, an preachin the Kíngdom, an hailin ilka sickness an ilka complènt amang the fowk. His fame gaed outowre aa Sýria, an aa at wis oniegate ailin wis brocht til him--fowk dreein aa kinkind o ills an pyne, fowk pestit wi ill spirits, fowk afflickit wi the faain-síckness or the pairls--an he hailed them aa; an frae Galilee an the Ten Touns, frae Jerusalem an Judaea an ayont Jordan, muckle thrangs cam an fallowt him about. Seein hou monie there wis o them, he spealed the brae, an whan he hed sitten doun, an his disciples hed gethert about him, he set tae the teachin, an this is what he said tae them:
"Hou happie the puir at is hummle afore God,
for theirs is the Kíngdom o heiven!
Hou happie the dowff an dowie,
for they will be comfortit!
Hou happie the douce an cannie,
for they will faa the yird!
Hou happie them at yaups an thrists for richteousness,
for they will get their sairin!
Hou happie the mercifu,
for they will win mercie!
Hou happie the clean of hairt,
for they will see God!
Hou happie the redders of strow an strife,
for they will be caa'd the childer o God!
Hou happie them at hes dree'd misgydin for richteousness' sake,
for theirs is the Kíngdom of Heiven!
Hou happie ye, whan they tash an misgyde ye an say aaithing ill o ye, líein on ye, for my sake!
Blythe be ye an mirkie, for gryte is the rewaird bidin ye in heiven; it wis een sae they misgydit the Prophets afore ye."
Matthew 4:23-5:12 excerpted from Lorimer, William Laughton (translator), The New Testament in Scots. Edinburgh: Southside (Publishers) Ltd., 1983.