There shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain for the old order has passed away. – The one who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.”
Book of Revelations

In other words, for example: those of Bob Dylan – the order is rapidly fadin’.

Here are a few mind blowing things that have been happening:

You know Hoola-Hoops, snacks that come in rings, crack when you eat them, and taste really nice – at least this is Pádraig’s opinion. What he is doing with these snacks is just sensational. Enjoyable. Independent.

Many people who see Pádraig for the first time think he is asleep because damage to his third nerve makes it hard for him to keep his eyes open. But everything changes when something really interesting is happening. And this is without his ptosis-glasses helping him to lift his eyelids.

You remember the broken wheelchair. It happened on Saturday, 17 August, and we immediately told the HSE about it. Their Occupational Therapist notified their contractor who came up with several ideas but no action. Eventually, they declared the chair a write-off. The HSE OT Manager ordered a new base for the chair and started the search for a replacement interim-base. On Wednesday, 4 September, two and a half weeks after the break, I got a call to say they could collect, repair, and return the chair the next day. When I said that he was going away, the next available date was Friday, 13 September, four weeks after the break down. Talk about under-staffing and under-resourcing.

You will remember that we were told repeatedly, that Pádraig could not use his chair, it was too dangerous, and that the only safe place for him was in his bed.

I mean, the man had a Coldplay concert on and a pilgrimage to Lourdes coming up.

Luckily, our trusted, fabulous mechanic offered and managed to weld the chair – and he didn’t even charge for it.

We are also close to getting Pádraig the chair he needs, with a little help from his friends. In any case, Pádraig did not have to stay in bed. He could enjoy the Music of the Spheres and on Thursday he could go on his annual journey to Lourdes where he has already been enjoying the fabulous company of year-long friends, people who really care about him, include him, make him part of their lives, and do their utmost best for him.

The journey and the stay here are always full of activities, comfort, and adventure – like the river overflowing this morning, closing most access bridges. The goodness of the people who come to help here is mind-bending. They are demonstrating how the world could be if we didn’t allow maniacs to throw it into chaos.

At first sight, Lourdes doesn’t seem to have changed much over the past decades. The shops are still as tacky as they always were. Many ceremonies are still as hierarchical and patriarchal as they always have been. But many people come for other, very different, and less superficial reasons. They find a place and a space like no other.

The old order is rapidly fadin’. We can make all things new.

It’s up to us to make it happen.

Are you in?