Week +16: Countdown to Christmas

Seasonal goodwill....

It's a strange experience for me this Christmas; where as I feel and see people apparently drawing together at this family focused time - for me the seasonal period is full of paradox.
 Drawing together at a time when I feel separate and different, excited anticipation versus my humble reflective thoughts. Sad, fun, happy, reflective, emotional, caring, kind, grumpy would sum up how I'm feeling ...
  Clearly it is a time where I feel it is difficult to enter the vibe of the masses and so I choose to spend some time individually with some special people I have been close to over the years. 
 

So a day spent in the coffee shops of Boston was the order of the day on Tuesday, with some great catch up time with friends with a little shopping in between, to show willing.
The quality time spent with these friends was so valuable to me, slowing down and engaging 100% with others, lovely times:)




  Much of the week was spent attempting to complete some academic work for my degree, I find it difficult to work on this stuff in large blocks so have needed to adjust my time and effort accordingly, not only the tiring aspect from the concentration required, but also the loss of dexterity and feeling in my hands causing some greater concentration to make things happen in the right order (particularly typing) making the whole exercise more difficult than it should/needs to be . Nearly there with this - so one more push should get it complete. I can then consult, reflect and work out the next steps regarding this program. 

  The end of the week was punctuated by two visits to the cinema to see the new Star Wars movie; impressive and good fun both from content and social aspects. (food n drinks before/after) . Great fun and great companionship from those I had the pleasure attending with.

 

The weekend brought a heart-warming and humbling local fund raising event that I managed to attend (in part). Wonderful people ; a community of caring, kind and inspiring people all joined together to support others in the Boston area. I truly felt a sense of 'giving to others' in the proper sense, not necessarily in a monetary sense, more from the giving of time and effort to support ease the pain of others   - got me feeling warm, fuzzy and Christmassy !!



On the health front, things are pretty stable at the moment and a visit to the GP on Monday helped organise some minor issues I've been having, and some great support in trying to help my short/medium term stability.
  A referral for some hydrotherapy and a different gym identified to help keep the legs working as long as possible and help alleviate some of the pain-this should start in the new year -so that feels progressive. Some other appointments scheduled for the new year also in place, so I'll be left alone pretty much until then - which is good for me, to have some 'normal time'.

  On Sunday I hit a bit of a bump with a copy of my recent clinic tests copied to me received in the post. It has some comforting observations of normality enclosed; in that my broad health and decline is fairly consistent and not got much worse than anticipated  (phew!) with the exception of motor skills/co-ordination (walking, balance and the other things I have noticed and described myself, previously).
There are some technical results I'd like to understand so I'll ask the experts sometime over the next week or so....


 ----------------It has been a week filled with textured and varied experiences-----------------


A couple of things have come into my awareness this week, seen at various points- and have stuck with me.....

 
'One day you'll be a memory for some people. Do your best to be a good one.'

'Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway.'

And finally:


'When something bad happens you have three choices:

1. let it define you
2. let it destroy you
3. let it strengthen you   '

I'm going for number three ;-)

 

Merry Christmas one and all.....