Footsteps of life

Broken Wings

There's a slight, steady incline to my left. All of a sudden I spot a boy pushing his wheelchair to the top of the slope. Arm flail madly as he sets the chair at the slope. With a whoop and a huge smile he scrapes to a halt in front of me.

"Morning Mam," he grins.

He clears the descent for the next crazy paraplegic who belts his way to the bottom of the slope, skew smile decorating his excited face. Once again:

"Morning mam!"

The joy emanating from their broken bodies ensures that these children are fighting to live a full and meaningful life.

Everywhere I walk I am confronted by smiling polite faces, faces belong to broken bodies. Some walking their strange lopsided walk unaided by people or equipment. Enjoying the fact that their feet propel them along.

A white stick meets a white stick. There is a brief moment when they are not sure who has right of way. I steer one to the left a friend steers another to the right and they proceed to their destination.

Talented children, scarred children, children with scars hidden by their clothes or their skin. Children fighting cancer, liver and kidney failure – all greet you with a smile.

Each small achievement is an Everest and each child experiences the exhilaration of overcoming the challenge.

Each child has learnt a lesson that it takes many of us far too long to learn. Appearances are nothing. Strength of character, the ability to extract happiness from the smallest achievement and the determination to get to their goals are important.

Each child will probably experience the death of pupil at some time but each child is determined to make something of their own life.

So what if I have a sore toe today? That child walking in front of me is so twisted in appearance   but the smile on his face would sit well on an angel.

The motto of the Open Air School is "I can and I will." And oh boy do they follow it! Life is theirs for the taking.

Stop the snivelling – stop the worrying. Whatever it is that you want to achieve – YOU CAN AND YOU WILL

The White Rabbit

I think I am suffering from the White Rabbit syndrome: 

"I'm late, I'm late for a very important date."

However it is not a date – and neither is it really important or even romantic. 

No - it is just life. Life has put on its running shoes while I was sleeping and is not waiting for me to catch up. Instead life is spewing things in my path. Things – not flowers or gifts – but things that I have to attend to, pick up, dispose of or pass on. And all this takes time and this time taken means I am continually running for the bus that life has climbed on. 

Come on life – give me a break! Let me stop, see, experience and smell the roses, the rain, the birds and the beauty of the universe.

Facebook

Facebook:

The joy of reconnecting

With pupils past and present

Friends and family far away.

Photos, verse and newsy bits

The world at my fingertips.

Facebook:

The gossip, snide comments

Once read always known

Hurtful, biting and final

In its publicity

For all to revel in.

Facebook:

Tortured images,

Fearful scenes,

Animals maimed,

Sensationalism

Hurtful to my eyes.

To Tat or not to Tat

 I saw the following post on facebook and ir inspired me to write what follows

I do not tat but my daughter and granddaughters do. My daughter is the most caring mother I have ever met. Generalisations are the things that come out of mentally challenged individuals who need to learn that peace comes at a price. That price is DO NOT be judgemental. No-one is forcing you to tat - it's your choice. It is my family's means of expression. My daughter's husband will not tat but cheers her on from the outside. I love my family. I love their intrinsic being - far more than a foible which they may or may not later regret. When I gave my children their skin - I gave it. They need to be happy in their skin. It belonged to me for about 9 months and then it was all theirs – within reason until they were considered old enough to make decisions.

One day I was invited to a party for a friend's mother. I turned the corner and nearly bolted. The girl standing in front of me had mainly blue or black skin and many piercings. She greeted me gently and as the party progressed I realised that I had met a genuine quiet spiritual person who would rather rip her toe nails out if it meant saving an animal or person from distress. I learnt a good lesson that day – Don't make quick judgements based on the appearance of the person in front of you.

I rejoice in jeans and baggy shirts – no make up – probably looking a bit of a slobbut I am  happy. I enjoy a long bath in the mornings – the most important part of my day – the scenes in my novel that are tricky or when I have painted my story into a corner – I lie back and let the water surround me and new characters appear, new situations that will get me out of my jam unfold. My mind and my body have had a good wash and have become energised.

The Abyss

I am descending into the dark abyss which envelopes my heart and soul.

What is life?

What is love?

Who am I?

Why am I?

Unanswered questions pound my mind

Sleep evades me.

What is the point?

What is the purpose?

Creep into the cave of my intrinsic being

Alone and unfettered

Waiting to be free.

Time out

Seventeen years ago I was looking for a new home. I viewed my unit and I was blown away by the peace and serenity, the bird calls and the surrounding trees and knew I had to have that place.

I moved in and took every opportunity to enjoy the tranquillity. My creative gene stretched itself and woke up and invaded my being. I called my unit "Inspiration". But you know what they say – "Familiarity breeds contempt". This may be a bit strong but life happened and I seldom took the time out to sit and appreciate what my busy lifestyle was paying for – peace and serenity. Instead I looked all over for this hidden commodity that resided on my doorstep. Okay I did enjoy the peace, I did enjoy the serenity but it was only in passing. I am very fortunate to have a door leading out of my study into my garden. On good days I sit in my study working with the door open but I did not, could not, immerse myself in nature – there was work to be done.

In the last few months life has assumed a (more than usual) stressful component. On Sunday I took a short time to immerse myself in nature and felt healed but Monday, Tuesday oh boy! Life intervened again and I found myself running around chasing my tail. It is now nearly 10 am on Wednesday morning, 17^th September which in South Africa is the beginning of spring. I opened the study door and was immersed in the song of birds with the occasional squawk of the Hadedahs. I stopped, I paused, I wondered about nature – it had me in its thrall. I wanted to capture these soothing, calming sounds so that I could play them again. So out with the cell phone, silence from me so that I could record the peace and tranquillity.

Forty seconds of peace punctuated by the Hadedahs. Playback time – nothing – except of course the occasional Hadedah.  

The thought smacked me on the side of my head – "Nature has to be experienced – we cannot just summon up the peace and tranquillity at will. We need to be involved. We need to take some time out."

Stop, look and listen – your stress healing is always there – the Universe, God, Allah whatever you choose to call it has given this to you.

The sad thing is that I now know this fact (once again) and I will (once again) appreciate it for a time and (once again) life will happen and I will (once again) forget. But for these brief moments I know and appreciate serenity.

The view from my study