To give you and me a wee break from the Chronicles of the Mighty Joff; may I present you with an intermission of sorts today?

I think this post is particularly pleasant as it includes both a circular chain of events and evidence of the “kindness of strangers” – a phrase that has been in use in our household since Joff was about 1 year old and was given funds by local night clubbers in Elgin to help us buy a specially adapted swing for him. That was the first of many such kindnesses by strangers.

There is a wonderful lady living in Massachusetts who has a young man with Lowe about a year older than Joff. About 6 years ago we had exchanged only a few emails about our boys before we realised we both had similar senses of humour. She asked me for “some Scottish jokes”. Well, I was a bit flummoxed, I do love jokes but I couldn’t remember lots of good Scottish ones and went googling for some. At the top of the list was a link for a forum called FirstFoot. For people not aware of the phrase – it’s a custom throughout the UK, but widely done here in Scotland where the first person, particularly if it's a tall dark-haired man, that comes over your threshold after the New Year Bells at midnight brings good fortune to the household, especially if they’re bearing food and drink.  

So I began reading some of the sections of the FirstFoot website and literally was crying laughing at the craic. I read it over a few weeks then decided to join in their forum. And from that FirstFoot forum I ended up making some absolutely brilliant friends in real life – people who liked hearing about Joff but I didn’t have to talk about him exclusively, people who cared about our ups and downs as a family and helped us through quite a few rough times. People who also have a passion and talent for performing and vast knowledge about folk music that drew me into dusting off my guitar after a couple of decades, and even singing the odd song in public myself.

Three years ago, two of these friends came to our local pub to perform at the folk club. They got chatting with the organiser of the club asking where would be good to put on a benefit gig for Joff locally. The kindness of strangers kicked in...Strangers and our friends alike prepared to give us their time and talents to organise and participate in a benefit for the Lowe Syndrome Association.

If it hadn’t been for that Lowe Syndrome parent in Massachusetts wanting to know “some Scottish jokes” I would never have met up with my friends from FirstFoot, nor would I be now announcing the 3^rd Annual benefit for the LSA – aka “Joff’s Big Do”.

We are having a night of fun and fabulous music at the Georgian Hotel in Coatbridge this Saturday, 2^nd October. Featuring many of my friends and (exhales) just amazingly, the massively talented legend that is Dick Gaughan. (Faints briefly, recovers, then runs round the room in excitement)

Now I appreciate that lots of you can’t be there and I know you’ll wish us a good night. But if you feel moved to do so, please consider supporting our efforts for the LSA by making a donation care of the FirstGiving site. Literally, every cent counts...and I thank you sincerely in advance of anything you can give.

www.firstgiving.com/lsa

Next week I’ll be reporting on how it went. I’ll give you a flavour of the brilliant night I know it will be... and hopefully get you some video too.

Do bear it in mind. “The kindness of strangers”.