I drove to Limerick yesterday afternoon. There was a celebration for my uncle’s sixtieth birthday in my aunt’s house and I decided to go along. I’m glad I did.
My uncle is a barber. I spent most of my teenage Saturday’s working with him. I washed customer’s hair and kept the salon tidy. It was fun. My uncle played a very important part in my formative years. He was funny but wise and occasionally very sensitive. He supported me at times when I was having a tough time. He listened to me and gave me a shoulder to cry on. He had a great love of music and gave me some of my first albums. I always admired him and it was good to see him yesterday.
In addition I got to meet up with family members I haven’t seen in years. My aunts, cousins, partners, friends and some of my immediate family arrived. It was lovely to see them all. Some of them asked me how I was doing and they were genuinely concerned for me. They know I have had difficult times but there was no pity. Just a kindly support.
I had forgotten but I am the eldest grandchild in the family and I posed for photographs with the youngest. The atmosphere was festive and unfortunately I had to leave early. I had decided to be home in Dublin for midnight. The traffic was light and the drive was easy.
I spent quite a bit of time chatting about a recent cruise to Norway, our family summer holiday. It was so relaxing, pain-free. The fjords of Norway are spectacular. We spent twelve days being treated to scenery that was breathtaking. I began to take it for granted in the end. We visited beautiful glaciers and strolled in picturesque cities and towns. We fully recharged the batteries.
In my last post before we went on holidays I told you that my mood had turned for the worst and my medication had been changed. I think that this in combination with the holiday has done me the world of good. Life has been without stress and excepting a few bad days, my mood has been better.
In recent months I have been frequenting the Dublin Buddhist Centre. I’m a regular feature at weekly open night meetings and I now consider myself to be a Buddhist. Not only do I find the meditation practise helpful but it has added structure to my life. An added bonus is that I have made new friends and a few of whom I am very fond. Every little bit of support helps.
Today, I am feeling very grateful. I am grateful for my friends but especially today for my family. We all take our family for granted and I am no different. But when it comes to the crunch they will be there for me when all else have turned away. And I will be there for them. It is important to have family when you are in trouble but it was even better to celebrate with them when things are good. The balance is important.
I’m in good form today and life is good. I’ll take that and try to hold on to it. I’ll deal with tomorrow when it comes. Right now, I know I’ll be okay. Actually, it’s more than that…I am okay. Best wishes for now.
