Life is short, break the Rules. Forgive quickly, kiss slowly. Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably and never regret ANYTHING that makes you smile.
Mark Twain

Paul (or was it Timothy?) in his letter to the Collossians gave this advice: Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offence. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love (COL 3.13).

While Paul didn’t refer anywhere to “kissing slowly” or, indeed, kissing at all, the essence of his remarks are not a million miles away from Mark Twain’s counsel.

Both want to encourage us to focus on what it is that makes life truly worth living. Being annoyed, angered, or bitter makes a miserable life. Focusing on what is good in life and in others, however, can be hard, especially, when you have plenty of reasons for being, let’s call it, “distracted”.

That’s why, sometimes, we need people around us who help us to (re-)focus.

Last week, Pádraig was lucky enough to meet some.

First, he went back into the “Gaming Room” and had another go at “Forza”, racing cars through the imaginary Sonora Desert in Mexico, using the ByoWave adaptable controlled, supported by a couple of young gamers.

Later in the week, he got a new pair of Ptosis glasses.

It is hard to over-estimate what a huge difference these glasses must be making for Pádraig’s life. It is not quite like being given back his eyesight, because he always could, although only with a big effort, open his eyes, but it is probably pretty close to it. The amazing thing is that even with these glasses, he can blink – and should they after a while become annoying, he is well able to take them off.

The day he got them, we decided to have a nice lunch, as we were in town anyway.

These glasses do not only help Pádraig to see better what is going on around him, they also help the people he meets to realise that he is not asleep but fully participating in life.

Let’s wear love. Forgive quickly. Laugh.

Life is short.