Want to get into the Christmas spirit? Do you live around Dublin? Then you’ll have to join us this coming Thursday for Wintersong by Candlelight in Our Lady of Dolours, Glasnevin. For a second year running, our neighbouring Parish has decided to organise an event of music, song and reflection. Afterwards, there will be mulled wine, mince pies, hot chocolate and marshmallow in the Parish centre – and a raffle and auction. All in aid of Caring for Pádraig. (The committee are still gratefully accepting prizes for the raffle.)

If you are on Facebook, check out the event page and share it with your friends.

Pádraig had a friend visiting today he hadn’t seen for almost two years, as he has been living abroad. They had a great time catching up on each other’s lives. We assisted Pádraig sharing his experiences and thoughts with his friend. It reminded me how important it is to get him to use and learn about a better communication system which he has but which we haven’t used regularly enough. The visit also brought back home the need for him with people of his age who through sharing aspects of their life with him keeps him in touch with what is going on out there, what young people of his age are doing, what their worries, hopes, and aspirations are. What they think about life and stuff going on in their world.

Am I sad that his life is different, would I prefer if he was more independent, had more opportunities? I could cry my eyes out if I start thinking that way.

But I’m having too many of these moments when tears just shoot into my eyes and my nose starts running even worse than it does already with my cold.

I want to think about the good aspects of Pádraig’s life, the things he can do, the course he is charting for himself. A course that is so different from what would have been the generally accepted no-hope “pathway”. I want to think about the family and friends and strangers who have been supporting him and us to sail down this stream in his Dreamboat. Defying medical “wisdom”.