Two Snapshots of the last 24hrs

Two unrelated snapshots of my thinking in the last 24hrs:

1) Sitting in a church near Bath during a wedding. A small congregation,of which about 1 in 4 are small children and toddlers. The adults are silent, the babies are crying and screaming to break the silence which hangs over the room like a heavy blanket. Across from me one boy, dressed like a miniature London cockle-seller, is clicking his teeth to try and get the attention of those around him and smiling with amazing glee. He craves the interaction with the world around him and can’t understand why everyone else is stuck like a manequin in a shop window.
A few rows in front a blonde girl of about 4 is trying to get the attention of her younger brother. She gently brushes his cheek to get his attention, they smile and without having to talk she persuades him to go to her end of the pew to play a game. There’s clearly a bond and they make each other happy. It makes me feel a bit sad I was an only child.

2) Walking across the park just below the Royal Crescent in Bath on Wednesday. It’s a beautiful sunny day. It’s half term and children are playing minigolf, whilst on the tennis court there’s a childrens’ coaching session with a game of 4 on 1. Apart from a slight chill in the air you could be forgiven for thinking the buzz of energy and excitement meant it was the height of summer.
On a bench opposite all the action sits a motionless woman alone. She is smartly dressed and in her 70’s. She has a number of rings on her fingers including a larged jewelled gold band on her wedding finger. Who gave her the ring? Was it her husband, a deceased partner, a war-time sweetheart? Does she wear it to remember or to celebrate? Was it a gift given in a romantic moment of youth?