reminiscing over the rainbow: Missing Doreen & George

It's Christmas holidays again and as I was sending Xmas cards, I started to miss my friends back in the UK, specially the old Irish couple who had influenced me so much in my few years on earth as compared to them. They are the oldest and most loving couple I've ever met.

George sent me some of their latest photos taken in Spain.

Every year, without fail, they go for holidays in Spain with their family, their daughter lives there and the sunny days are often what they need during the cruel, frosting winter in Britain.

Doreen on the far most left with her sisters & niece

Doreen was the one who first told me about Advent calendar. Where children are given special calendar with little pockets or windows to open and unveil tiny surprises each day from the start of Dec until Christmas day.

I remember those days where I helped her wrap up tiny presents for her to send over to her grandchildren. She's been doing that without fail every year and I could feel a grandmother's love, always so unconditional. She's always learning new skills. She was self learning German when I first got to know her and then while doing her knitting, she would be minding her gardens despite her ailing body. She's my angel when I first stepped into St Andrew's in Notts and of the many things she taught me, she got me into the habit of reading. Doreen is always sweet, reserved, smart, thoughtful, generous and kind.

George's health is slowly getting better as his legs were giving him problems before. In his 80s, he's considered a superman or super professor, I reckon. Still at the top of his game, he continues his researches for his papers in Mathematics. Already being awarded by universities for his work with multiple PhDs, he's the one and only man I know with such passion and love in researching for breakthroughs in Math.

With a huge heart, he's also active in church and constantly never fail to keep up to date with his Mac computer and his daily breakfast with crossword puzzles. You would have thought an academic like him would be serious but he's the sweetest old grandpa I know who doesn't even bear to hurt an ant. I remember hugging him goodbye, tears in my eyes, I wonder when will be the time I'll be able to sit in his cosy study again.