You are the master of your own life. You can choose what you want to do and you can choose what you do not want to do. Your choices determine the course of your life. If you want change, if you believe that things should go into a different direction in your life, it is up to you make those changes. You are standing at the wheel, you are the captain of this vessel, and you determine its course.

Except, when you aren’t and when you can’t. Which is a lesson that life, sooner or later, is going to teach you. It’s a lesson in humility, it’s a lesson in the need to accept things that are out of your control. It’s a hard lesson to learn. Being in control is so much easier.

If you really had a choice, which life would you choose? Would it be better? Would a life without difficult moments, without grieve and pain, be a better life? Would it be really better if you could eliminate all the bad stuff, or would you turn into Bruce Almighty who messed up the whole wide world playing the good and caring God for a few days, a God that protects each and everyone of us from harm? Would you really enjoy a life in which you did not have to count on the solidarity and compassion of your family, of your friends, of strangers?

Yesterday had been one if not ‘the’ best days for Pádraig in a long time. Today, he topped it again. He opened and closed his eyes on ‘command’ – another first. Even better: he did this not just for the Oberärztin; when she called the Chefarzt to show him Pádraig’s progress, he did what he usually does not do: he repeated it for the Chefarzt.

Today, we received, by hand, from a friend, a booklet that friend’s aunt, a primary school teacher in Donegal, had prepared with her second class students who have all been praying for Pádraig ever since his accident. The students are around 8-9 years old.

They all wrote letters to Pádraig, telling him that they had heard about his accident, that  they are praying for him every day, and – wait – they wrote down in their letters their favourite jokes for Pádraig to cheer him up. Here is a sample: “Why did the Jelly Baby go to school? – Because he wanted to be a Smartie.” If you have children, if you are close to children, or if you are still young at heart, this must be the most moving ‘post’ you could ever get.

Think about it. This most beautiful, hand made present with the prayers and the jokes from Ryan, Shannon, Laoise, Lorcan, Ross, Caolán, Aod, Andrew, Molly, Saoirse, Cormac, Caillon, Leah, Conor, Aísling, Rónán, Jude, Jack, and Olwyh, from 8, 9 and 10 year old kids who never met Pádraig in person, is an incredible outpour of love and compassion from kids far up in beautiful Donegal. I will show this booklet to Pádraig tomorrow and I am sure, it will give him a big big boost of energy and laughter that will make him better! Absolutely!

Today’s German Music Tip
Jupp Schmitz, Am Aschermittwoch ist alles vorbei (1953)
What’s hot
Straight out
What’s cold
Scheming
The German word/phrase/verse of the day
Na ja, wenn’s der Wahrheitsfindung dient!

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