The Gift of Friendship
Carmel Vowles
Cana, through the gift of friendship and walking with another, midst the turmoil and unknown, brings us to a place more than often we dared not venture.
One day, during my first weeks at Mudgee, I was walking down the street and noticed an elderly man sitting at a bus stop. I sat and chatted with him and he said he was going to be 70 in a few weeks. I asked if he was going to share his special day with anyone, and he said no one had ever celebrated his birthday. So I asked him if he would like to come to a cafe he liked and if there was anyone else he would like to invite and could we celebrate his birthday with him. He looked surprised and agreed.
Later that day I said ‘Hi’ to Jill in the Natural Health shop where Martin came each pay day. Jill called out to me. Martin had come to her, asking very suspiciously “Who is this woman and why would she want to celebrate my birthday?”
On his birthday a few of us gathered and had a wonderful celebratory lunch. He was much moved and it was wonderful to see him enjoy his special day. His sparkling eyes and beautiful smile said it all. Martin had lived under the bridge for 30 years and he was well known in the town. We would often meet after this.
I remember the first time I spoke in the Mudgee church to speak about Cana and introduce ourselves. Michael Gilbert was staying for a few days and Anne suggested I get him to speak. I asked her how to go about this and she suggested I ask him a few questions about what Cana meant for him and to talk about his daughter Mary-Anne who had just been born. We were about to get up and Michael’s legs which were moving constantly since the beginning of mass were now audibly louder and faster and he just wanted to bolt outside for a cigarette. I told him I was as nervous as he was and now we were ON. I was about to ask Michael his opening question and off he went with his story unaided by any need for prompts. He received the loudest and longest clap and of course he was brimming with pride. It was sheer joy to see him in that total space of celebratory love.