There are times, when what the news, the entertainment, the radio talk, the talk shows on TV all seem so ridiculously redundant, worse: they sound like manipulating propaganda with little or no relationship to what is really going on.

Ireland seems to be out of control, meaning: the health system, the police, housing, banking, building, the church… you name it, they all seem to be rotten to the ground.

Whether this is so or not, who knows. But this is what the media make us believe. And there is no visible change for the better. Another 400,000 false breath tests were ‘discovered’, the health system will be more challenged than ever before this winter, the banks apparently haven’t done anything wrong, and housing problems are getting worse by the day.

There are no absolute ever-lasting ethics. Yet, we need to know what is right and what is wrong and we need societal consensus about it. And then we need to deal with those who break that consensus.

By contrast, today we had such a good day that I felt, for the first time in a while, that we are getting somewhere good. Pádraig had fun, really collaborated and got better during his physio, we went out for walks, had good food and a glass of wine. We were still talking about the regular Thursday visit by his friend who yesterday had brought not just biscuits (and flowers for Pat:) but also homemade pumpkin soup and loads and loads of good humour and laughter.

Always look at the bright side of life.