Outside my hotel window
It is the dead of night
Wem
A bird is singing Is he announcing good news? Is he calling for attention. Like the multitude of heavenly hosts praising God. When the angel announced Jesus birth to the shepherds. Singing Glory to God in the highest. And on earth good will to all men. There is room for me in the Inn. In a soft plush bed Because He was born in a straw lined manger. The Christmas street lights are bright
The tide is high
In Strangford Lough
No room to wade on the shoreline
The water is lapping against the wall
I’m safe here on the ledge
My favourite spot
Jutting out of the water
I’ll wait
And keep warm
With my neck
Sunk between my shoulder blades
I’ll wait
Till the water recedes
I’ll wait
To dart at some tiny fish
Lingering in the shallows
I know their hiding places
I’m too old
To fly from my perch
To find another spot
I’ll leave
Those fishing grounds
To the younger ones.
I’ll wait
Oh the stillness of Monday morning.
The house is quiet.
No popping of the toaster, or the kettle boiling for tea and coffee.
The high chair is empty till the next grandchild comes to visit.
No airport pickups today.
Visitors from far away places in England, Canada and India have left.
The light, warmth and stillness invites us outside.
The calm after the storm.
Our friend the robin welcomes us.
He flutters and swirls around me, excited.
Others birds in the forest are singing their hearts out.
Two blue tits come down inquisitively looking for food.
A blackbird calls.
A solitary Raven chases away any competitors for the food scattered on the lawn.
The sunshine glistens on the water, thousands of lights dancing.
Tinkle, tinkle sounds come up from the last yacht below in the bay.
Where is the sun bed?
It hasn’t been packed way yet.
I stretch out and look up.
A few dry leaves drift past.
There is the blue sky beyond the bare branches.
Somewhere up there in an aeroplane is my son and his family.
I will savour the sunshine and beauty.
It’s a new day, I will not be sad.
I do like using my i Pad. What a great invention! Initially I didn’t think I needed one, and said so when Brendan wanted to buy one for my birthday. Many years ago when my children got their first mobile phones, they enjoyed texting their friends. I thought I will never be using one of those. I had to eat my words when I got my first mobile phone. I find texting invaluable to be in touch with family and friends.
My children are now up graded to i Phones . They are texting, taking photos, listening to music, playing games, talking and recording all on this little machine in their hands.
Again I thought to myself I do not need one of them. Then came the day I could not get hold of a plain mobile that texts for free and phone calls are cheap. I had to give in and go for an upgrade. I can even take photos. Now I have to pay a monthly bill and I don’t know what for?
I took some interesting photos of scenery recently. I asked a friend to help me transfer them to my I pad. It was not quite as simple as I thought. They told me I needed a Dropbox. What on earth is a Dropbox. Maybe it is not on this earth. It is probably up in the sky somewhere!
Another friend had some beautiful photographs of my garden. I asked if he would send them to my e mail, so I could store them. I have advanced to use the e mail and store photos. He told me to install What’s App on my phone. I was only asking for a simple doable request. I am not a whizz kid on information management. I just wanted some one to help me.
I must admit I am guilty of avoiding explaining something to a child. I was just too tired to answer and told him to “Google it”.
Why does the mobile phone sales assistant want to get extra commission by selling a pensioner a phone that runs up a big bill? Why are the younger generation impatient to help someone who is older? Were they not helped by us when they were young to learn their A B Cs and cross their Ts and dot their Is.
One cannot survive on one’s own. Let’s not be independant. Let’s share skills and help one another with doable requests.
Much knowledge separates the generations and the genders. The more we are independant, we do not need others and do not receive help from others. I am willing to see the situation from another’s perspective. Maybe the person I asked to help me was under pressure to get to work or had other pressing things on his mind. Maybe he will change his mind.
I think many of us get illnesses because we internalise our frustrations. Perhaps we think others are too busy to listen or they may not understand one any way, so why bother. People go to the doctor looking for help. Very often they are offered a prescription of pills to numb the pain. A wise doctor may be able to look beyond and offer a comforting word of encouragement.
A wise person said “A good night’s sleep solves many problems.” It is like balm to one’s soul.
Let us communicate, stop, listen and help one another. That develops love and understanding. We will be all the more healthy. Then we will be obeying one of the commands Jesus gave us “Love one another.”
| URL: http://wp.me/p23sd-iFg
Healed of Cancer. Angela McCauley 