Stubborn Optimism

Ullapool, 1939 — The Catch That Finally Came

For three months straight, Angus MacKenzie’s catches were poor, and the house began to feel smaller under the weight of his silence. His wife, Mhairi, sat by the hearth each night, stirring lentil soup with her 1910 apostle spoon and refusing to mirror his despair. “The sea takes its breath same as we do,” she’d say. “It’ll give again.” The night the nets came back heavy, the whole house smelled of fish and relief. Angus laughed for the first time in weeks, and Mairi served him with that same spoon, feeling vindicated in her stubborn optimism. Now made into a ring, it holds the memory of trusting what couldn’t be seen yet — and being glad she did. This is a small ring for a child or a pinky.