More smiling, less worrying. More compassion, less judgment. More blessed, less stressed. More love, less hate.
Roy T. Bennett

Ireland’s best kept secret is that of the annual pre-Christmas Late Late Toy Show set of last Friday. This year, Pádraig’s younger sister got four of the vary rare tickets to a sneak preview on Thursday afternoon. It was absolute magic to get into the RTÉ studios and into the set of the flagship programme of the world’s longest running Talk Show.

Pádraig saw the action not just in front of and behind the cameras, but through a camera. RTÉ staff could not have been nicer and more accommodating. We saw the new presenter, Patrick Kielty, having great fun with the kids all dressed up and ready for what was most likely going to be the most wonderful day in their young lives.

At the end of the Toy Show preview session we had a coffee.

And then, as if that hadn’t been sufficient excitement, Pádraig’s sister had the best idea ever: she’d show us around her workplace. What for her is by now routine, for us was a whole different world.

Pádraig went into the control rooms of Ireland’s two official TV channels and saw his sister’s pretty small studio where she works as a continuity presenter – including the red button she uses to interrupt whatever is being transmitted at the time to give an overview of the upcoming programmes to the nation. Imagine.

The highlight of his visit, however, was the weather forecaster studio with its blue screen and screen overlays, including the famous isel bars and all. The weather forecasgter on duty couldn’t have been nicer.

Leaving the RTÉ studios, we were in good time to make it to one of his best friend’s graduation in Trinity College, TCD. We met her friends who she had told us so much about and, especially, her mother who had made it all the way from Cork to be with her daughter on this very special day.

Now we’re both TCD graduates, she told him.

In response, Pádraig smiled one of the biggest, most beautiful smiles he had shared with any of us since his accident.

The day ended with all of us going to bed.

Totally exhausted.

With the biggest smiles on our faces.

And in our hearts.