…but a precious one
Tomorrow night the coin you see in my hand below will be zipped carefully into the pocket of the #richard100 jersey and will accompany on my 100 nighttime kilometres across London.
- It is not precious because it is silver
- It is not precious because it is a crown, struck especially for the Festival of Britain in 1951
- It is not precious because it is in pristine condition, still with its presentation box
- It is precious because of where it came from.
The coin was given to my friend Derek on his 11th birthday, and he grew up to be a husband, father, surveyor, worship leader, and a wholehearted Christian disciple. Last year he spent the last few weeks of his life in the Princess Alice Hospice. Whilst the Olympic cycle race whizzed by in the world outside, within its walls he was loved and cared for with all the tenderness and professionalism for which the hospice is renowned. When the end came, it was in a place where every second of a human life is handled like a precious gem.
Tomorrow night, as I cycle through the dark at a pace which would make those Olympic cyclists laugh, I shall remember Derek with every turn of the wheels. I shall remember others at the Princess Alice Hospice too – some newly admitted and ill at ease, others growing weaker but strengthened by the love and care of the staff. What they do there shows the very best side of humanity, and I want to see them go on doing it for years to come. If you would like to help them, please click HERE.
