If you want to keep memories, first you have to live them.

“Being grateful for each day and taking time to be present in life that you are living now, is very important” — said an elderly dialysis patient who travelled on our ambulance.

.. It was December. It was quite cold but it wasn’t snowing. The joy of coming winter holidays overwhelmed me.

The patient said that he remembered London being white on Christmas. A lot of snow when he was little. Knee-deep snow everywhere. Sledging and playing snowballs were his favourites. However, he didn’t have that joy anymore but feelings of tiredness and not being able to tolerate cold anymore…

…His father died when he was seven. His mum was the only breadwinner in the family. At the age of eleven, the boy started working to help her. He cleaned a shop selling fur clothes for soldiers and sailors.

He also said that Portobello road had local fresh fruits and vegetables markets that time. Since sellers didn’t have where to store the produce, all unsold vegetables were thrown away. So he and his younger brother collected potatoes, bananas and other items in boxes and carried them home — helped their mum.

The wages were very low and poverty was high in post-war London…

After awhile when the boy had grown up, his life had changed but still wasn’t very easy. He got married but “happily ever after” didn’t happen because his wife died early and he had to raise two children alone. He is a dialysis patient for 16 years now, and had a heart attack last year…

After leaving the ambulance and before saying good bye he told me: “ You have a whole life ahead of you. Many people keep on telling me not to do this and not to do that, they try to control me but I still do what I want. I do it because nothing is permanent and I am also not eternal. In order not to regret anything, live your life and create memories”…

If you want to keep memories, first you have to live them. ~ Bob Dylan.

• The artwork — “The World is your oyster”, 2021 by Margarita Sayed
• Acrylic on canvas, mixed media
• Size: 45 x 55 cm