Comfort

It's a point often made that the word "comfort" was originally more about strengthening than about giving people a good feeling and nice cushions.

I mention this because I've just been comforting Charlii after this week's edition of the "Little Pebbles" Holiday club. We deliberately kept it to a day per week this year as we found the gin went down so fast when we held a Holiday Club straight through for five days in the same week. It would have been easier at Camp Quest, of course, where adults could have outnumbered the children. Which would at least have given the children's workers an even chance.

Charlii has been telling me that her call to Druidic ministry came from her strong urge to care for the dying, preach the Word, and give people happy thoughts through the media of tea lights, pebbles and raffia. She was never asked about her calling to children's work all the way through Druidic Discernment. And her squirrel costume has been covered in soft drinks and hula hoops all the way through today's Armageddon - and she doesn't think she's cut out to face the same next week. And she's flinching every time she hears a high-pitched voice behind her.

I've reassured Charlii that she is cut out to be brilliant at children's work. That's what trainees are for, after all. I hoped she wouldn't disappoint me - and the Druidic Discernment Panel - and God, of course - by running from this obvious calling. And I've promised her that she doesn't have to wear the squirrel costume next week. Although to be honest that's not such a big promise. The orange juice is so matted into it, I'm going to have to send it back to Wippell's for repair. Next week, Charlii is going into battle dressed as Spiny Norman, the Hedgehog. Named after the animal that caused such fear to my uncle Dinsdale.

As she went off, I encouraged Charlii to talk to someone about the uncontrollable shaking she seems to have developed. That's what leadership and encouragement is all about, after all.