A week of Small Challenges and Quiet Blessings
September 27, 2026
This was a week of problem‑solving, wondering what if, and enjoying pleasant company. All in all, it was a good week.
I’ve spent much of the week dealing with two practical questions: how to get refills for my prescription medications, and how to mail a large package to the USA.
I managed to refill most of my prescriptions through a tele‑doc service, but two of them couldn’t be renewed that way. For those, I need to see a general practitioner in person. My travel medical insurance is supposed to help arrange an appointment, but the system has not worked well. I call, leave my number, and never hear back. When I call again, I’m told they did try to reach me, but my phone “just rang.” Finally, one assistant offered to call me immediately, and we discovered that my SIM card needed to be changed. Long story short: I still don’t have the prescriptions. I’ll try again once I get to Yorkshire.
Mailing a large package has been another adventure. There are no DHL or UPS stores in Aberdeen—only pick‑up points. After much searching online, I finally found a place that sounded promising. It was certainly no UPS Store. It was disorganized, but the man seemed to know what he was doing. I bought a box and tape and after packing the box I’m hoping the package will eventually make its way to the USA.
Eons ago—in the 1960s—I was admitted to the University of Aberdeen for a
junior‑year‑abroad program. Life intervened, and I wasn’t able to go. So how could I live in Aberdeen for three months now and not visit the University? The campus is in Old Aberdeen, and I was proud of myself for figuring out how to get there by bus, including a transfer.
Once I arrived, I didn’t know what I was looking at or where anything was. While wandering around, I noticed a small tour group. I hovered on the edge until they began to walk away, then asked if I could join them. The answer was yes—and the cost was zero. I only caught half the tour, but it was far more informative than wandering on my own.
The University of Aberdeen was founded in 1495 and is the fifth‑oldest university in the UK. The first four were Oxford, Cambridge, St Andrews, and Glasgow. That gave England two universities and Scotland three—a remarkable achievement for what was then a mountainous backwater. Edinburgh followed soon after.
Originally, the University was known as King’s College, founded by a papal bull and a royal charter from King James IV of Scotland. Aberdeen later gained a second institution, Marischal College, founded in 1593. King’s College was Catholic; Marischal was Protestant—very much in keeping with the Reformation era. In 1860, the two merged to form the modern University of Aberdeen. Because King’s College existed continuously since 1495, the University is allowed to claim that founding date.
I was delighted by the University’s motto: The Beginning of Wisdom Is the Fear of the Lord.
The campus is beautiful—a blend of old and new—and I couldn’t help wondering how my life might have unfolded if I had spent a year there. Would David and I have continued dating when I returned? Would he have found someone else? Would I? I’m grateful for how my life turned out, so there are no regrets. Still, I might have become a more confident, more adventurous person had I lived abroad early in life. As they say, water under the bridge.
Yesterday, I went to lunch at a church friend’s home. The meal was prepared by two other friends who stayed and ate with us. It was a delightful afternoon of good food and conversation. One of the ladies pulled out her guitar, and we sang Christian songs and prayed together. Later, we walked through Hazlehead Park—a large park with activities for all ages—and spent most of our time in the rose garden. It was a wonderful afternoon.
In the center of the rose garden is a memorial to the victims of the Piper Alpha disaster.
Piper Alpha was an offshore oil platform that exploded in 1988, killing 167 people. Many were from Aberdeen or nearby communities, and the tragedy is still spoken of with deep solemnity.
These days I stream almost all the television I watch—except for one program. Since arriving here, I’ve started watching Songs of Praise, which airs every Sunday at 1:00 pm (13:00). It has been on the air since 1961—65 years. The program features music from churches and other locations across the UK, sung by choirs and musical groups. I find myself singing along, both traditional hymns and contemporary songs. I may worship more during those thirty minutes than at any other time during the week. It’s produced by the BBC, and I can’t imagine a U.S. network airing such a program. The church in the UK may be in worse shape than the church in the U.S., but this is a bright spot.
As I look back over these days, I’m struck by how life rarely offers tidy themes or neatly wrapped stories. Instead, it gives us small puzzles to solve, unexpected frustrations, moments of beauty, and the quiet kindness of people who cross our path. This week held all of that. It reminded me that even when things don’t go smoothly—missed phone calls, confusing systems, wandering around a university campus without a map—there is still so much grace woven into ordinary days.
I’m grateful for the history I finally touched, the friendships that warmed my afternoon, the music that lifted my spirit, and the sense that even at this stage of life, I’m still learning, still exploring, still growing. It wasn’t a perfect week, but it was a good one—and sometimes that is more than enough.
Aberdeen
Weather Rainy
High 58 F (14C) Low 43 F (6C)
Sunrise: 7:03 Sunset: 6:52 (18:52)
Hours of Daylight: 11 hours and 50 minutes
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