As Little Prince Cathal was kind enough to publicise today’s significance for me (see today’s post from Cathal’s Mammy in Cathal's Big Adventure ), I started to reflect on the last year and its effects on my life - I won’t go too deep, promise!
Overall impression: what a steep learning curve! I have done more growing up (about time, I know!) in the last 5 months in particular than I have in the last 10 years or so.
Parenthesis opened here: Funny the way life happens in cycles? Early 20’s, major change, joined the Mammy-Club. Early 40’s, major change, re-joined the Singles-Club. Early 50’s, major change, joined the Granny-Club…. Which Club is next? Parenthesis now closed.
Key lessons learned:
- Anything can happen, to anybody, at any time. So enjoy what is presented to you today, just for the pure pleasure of it. Never refuse the cake. Don’t bitch about the taste, it could always be worse.
- What I experience every day is only a little slice of this Reality Cake. They are so many other slices in it, so many situations to be dealt with, coped with, but also enjoyed. My discovery of the world of DS and other “disability” slices has sobered up and humbled my taste buds. And I have barely passed the outer layer of icing? Bring it on!
- My slice had been quite comfortable until last March, until it got very eerie, and then re-settled itself at the edge of the comfort zone. The cake will be cut again (Cathal’s next Op) but this time I know that it’s coming. So I enjoy today’s cream and sponge, and put the hard bits to come on the side of the plate, until they need be picked up again, in their own time. No point dwelling on them now.
Scoring: 90% for sweetness and taste-bud titillating + 10% for the almost unbearable vinegar-bitterness of the difficult moments.
Conclusion: this new slice has my approval, I want more!
By way, how did a metaphoric cake join this post, today of all days??? I wonder!
Enough philosophical digression. Enough seriousness. I’m going to sit back and enjoy my special evening right now.
Here is to the next year! Cheers.
Overall impression: what a steep learning curve! I have done more growing up (about time, I know!) in the last 5 months in particular than I have in the last 10 years or so.
Parenthesis opened here: Funny the way life happens in cycles? Early 20’s, major change, joined the Mammy-Club. Early 40’s, major change, re-joined the Singles-Club. Early 50’s, major change, joined the Granny-Club…. Which Club is next? Parenthesis now closed.
Key lessons learned:
- Anything can happen, to anybody, at any time. So enjoy what is presented to you today, just for the pure pleasure of it. Never refuse the cake. Don’t bitch about the taste, it could always be worse.
- What I experience every day is only a little slice of this Reality Cake. They are so many other slices in it, so many situations to be dealt with, coped with, but also enjoyed. My discovery of the world of DS and other “disability” slices has sobered up and humbled my taste buds. And I have barely passed the outer layer of icing? Bring it on!
- My slice had been quite comfortable until last March, until it got very eerie, and then re-settled itself at the edge of the comfort zone. The cake will be cut again (Cathal’s next Op) but this time I know that it’s coming. So I enjoy today’s cream and sponge, and put the hard bits to come on the side of the plate, until they need be picked up again, in their own time. No point dwelling on them now.
Scoring: 90% for sweetness and taste-bud titillating + 10% for the almost unbearable vinegar-bitterness of the difficult moments.
Conclusion: this new slice has my approval, I want more!
By way, how did a metaphoric cake join this post, today of all days??? I wonder!
Enough philosophical digression. Enough seriousness. I’m going to sit back and enjoy my special evening right now.
Here is to the next year! Cheers.
3 comments:
I'll do my best to put my usual metaphorical punning aside in this case - Happy Birthday! As the time seemingly accelerates, I guess it means one gets to savor that cake more frequently. . . funny how a cake can represent so much!
And Elbog has a fine video collection of birthday cakes, so he should know. And he has his sweeter moments for a grouchy old Yank too.
Which club to join next? AS long as it's not the golf club. That always sounds like a euphemism for retirement to me.
Isn't it a wonderful world all the same when someone else comes along and invites you to look at things through different eyes!
Thanks guys.
Nick, I agree: no Golf for me. Can't figure that one out for the life of me. Looks like just a stroll in the grass...
Sorry if I offend (and I know quite a few people who love and play golf...) but rugby (as in watching) and F1 (again watching, though I'd love to try one of these "toys") are more my things.
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