Keep on the sunny side 😎
This daily reflection comes to you in glorious sunshine. It’s one of those times when the temperature in North Wales rivals that of any of the Mediterranean resorts. Perhaps fitting then, that we have been talking to one of Conwy’s small independent business owners, whose livelihood depends on visitors. These are anxious times, but Melissa Esplen-Metcalf has a very positive message which goes very well with a song from Flo Kaiser, recorded to keep us all going! Click here for a copy of the words.
Tomorrow, we celebrate Pentecost. Details of our Pentecost Service and Zoom Coffee Morning are at the bottom of this page.
Keep on the sunny side
Reverend Eryl Parry talks to Melissa Esplen-Metcalf:
Number 18 is a boutique Bed and Breakfast opposite Conwy Castle, whose brightly coloured rooms would normally be fully occupied with visitors from all over the world. Owner Melissa is a Daily Reflections reader and keen to communicate a message of hope in anxious times, especially to those in this community who wonder about the future.
“We bought the business in 2017, and feel so fortunate to be living here, especially when there are so many people living through ‘lockdown’ in a much more confined environment, especially in cities. It’s important that all our public messaging has been positive. We have to keep saying that Conwy is going to be a positive place to come, no matter what business or organisation we are! So, we’ve kept going with all our social media.
What has been really striking, and humbling, are the conversations and correspondence with customers. They don’t just see us as a business – we are people. So, emails have been personal. People have been keen to say, “we’re coming back”, but we are realistic. Our long-haul guests from places like Australia and USA may be ‘determined travellers’ but they also need the reassurance that they will be able to see and do all they want to across the whole of their trip, before they rebook and that will take time. Like many of the businesses here, we are going to be very careful about when we re-open. It is unlikely that would be on ‘day one’ of when we are allowed to. We have to be absolutely sure that all is in place to be a safe place for our guests.
We love where we live, and this isn’t a ‘day job’. When you have your own business, you ‘put everything of yourself in’. It requires passion and energy, and it’s that same love of life that will see us through. It’s great that some of our local businesses have been really inventive, adapted and diversified. Sadly, we can’t deliver a virtual B&B! At the moment I’m doing a temporary admin job from home, but I really look forward to the day when we open our doors again.”
The words of the song Flo sings above could not be more apt. We fear that some of our businesses will not survive the lack of trade, but in their entrepreneurialism there is a deep-seated belief in the power of hope. As that old country song says:
Tho’ the storm in its fury break today, crushing hopes that we cherished so dear,
storm and cloud will in time pass away, the sun again will shine bright and clear.
Gweddi
Ein Duw bywiol,
diolchwn i ti am dy fod yn awyddus i’n cyfarfod,
i siarad â ni,
i symud ynom a gweithio trwom;
dy fod yma nawr yn aros i’n harwain ymlaen ar daith ffydd.
Amen.
Prayer
Living God,
we thank you that you want to meet with us,
speak to us,
move in us and work through us,
that you are here now waiting to lead us forward
in the journey of faith.
Amen.
Pentecost Service
will be posted at 8am
caruconwy.com 