I am going to focus on family

In her weekly column, Maddie Grigg shares tales from her life in rural Dorset ...

 

THIS is the date on the calendar that I always feel is quite special.

Epiphany.

I know from my Sunday school days that it's the day when the star in the east led the Three Wise Men to the baby Jesus.

They were late, but they got there in the end.

I've found out that "epiphany" comes from a Greek word meaning "to reveal".

It was the day the baby Jesus was "revealed" to the world.

And we use the word now. We say we've had an epiphany when something has suddenly become clear to us.

I did have an actual epiphany once, when Mr. Grigg and I were living in a rented house on the Greek island of Corfu for a year some 10 years ago.

It was a wonderful place to live, but after a few months and when the initial novelty wore off, I had terrible homesickness.

I especially missed my children and grandchildren.

After an unpleasant brush with our Greek priest when the villagers jumped to my defence and said soothing words, the date became very significant.