Friday 5 June 2015

Doves

When Nigel and I were courting, I had a room up in the attic of Girton College.  From my window we could look out on the red-tiled roof and see a little bell tower. 
I do not know what the bell was for – I never heard it rung.  But I remember that on the tower strutted and preened a pair of white doves. 
We delighted in their affectionate billing and cooing over the months I inhabited the room.
The birds seemed like mascots for our own courtship.
When we married, the invitations bore doves and it was a dove that I embroidered on my wedding dress.
That was thirty years ago.
But recently, we moved into our new house. 
On the first day here, I spotted a white dove on the roof opposite. 
By the next day there were two.
Now, they parade up and down the ridge of the house several times a day; they bond by touching their bills together.

One is supposed to celebrate the thirtieth wedding anniversary with pearls, but we are celebrating it with pearl-white doves instead.

3 comments:

  1. Happy Anniversary, Clare & Nigel. You are an amazing couple! Beautiful post today.

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  2. That's really lovely, funny how things echo through life.

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