Interesting times bring perspective

It has been a most peculiar week. My Mum almost died. Were it not for a few timely events on Tuesday this would be a very different post.

I want to capture a few things, thoughts, things that occured to me. One is perception. On paper my mum is a 73 year old woman suffering from multiple sclerosis, recovering from a major operation to remove an intestinal cancer and with 3 cancerous growths on her liver. When her kidneys failed it's easy to say she wouldn't have the length of or quality of life to warrant the potentially painful procedure of getting the kidneys going again.

This doesn't capture the fact that she is an active, happy, bubbly 73 year old who has beaten MS and is quite happy to fight the cancer. It doesn't take into account the family and friends all around to support and help her.

Fortunately her surgeon / doctor did see this and pushed for an aggressive treatment that work quicker than we all hoped, the medical staff included.

We, I, asked for miracles. When each test on Tuesday came back the wrong way it seemed like one wasn't coming but a doctor who knew his patient chose to fight for her, told her it would be ok and the week turned around.

Another thing I need to think on is the hidden role and practice of the church in all this. My mother is a woman of faith, my parents are actually. They regularly - perhaps more than daily - attend mass at any of a number of churches in Worcester and that relationship has paid huge dividends. It's easy not to see this.

I have for a long time felt the Church, the Roman Catholic one in this case, had borrowed much practice without understanding it's benefits. The Church has taken many old stories and made them about saints and satan. Much blood has been spilt in it's name.

It's too easy to forget the good that is done. I am grateful to all those in my mothers community for what they have done for her.

I must examine where I stand, what I feel - my faith. I believe in some things, in a God - call it God, Holy Spirt, the Tao, the way of things - I believe. I have not found a practice that matches my perception of the world - or perhaps I have denied it. The dogma, rights and practices of the Church just don't feel right, they feel more like the work of an oppressive empire than of a beneficial religon. But it does benefit, it does good. I need to remember that I need to think about this.

Perspective.

Life's too short. Or perhaps Life's not long enough. It is long enough to build friendships, to support each other when needed and to receive that support.

Here's to small miracles, to answers to prayers. Mum, my prayers are with you ;)

3 things i'm grateful for today

1. my lovely wife and all she does for me

2. my beautiful comedy son

3. heinz beans and bangers

Being Erica - TV Show | LocateTV

Being Erica - TV Show | LocateTV

loving this show though, awesome.

Being Erica

True Blood - TV Show | LocateTV

True Blood - TV Show | LocateTV

Not really sure what to make of this show - bit so-so on it

True Blood

time

do i really have so little or am i just spending time doing other things?

little time spent on chi kung / t'ai chi etc of late - hope to get back to it.

finding reading about personality types and David Keirsey's work very interesting right now.

Finding my dan tien

After an on and off relationship with chi kung and tai chi for the last 19 years I've finally experienced my dan tien.

I sensed what felt like a small pool of really dense liquid very low in my pelvis and this heat through my torso.

some useful pointers in this book and thanks to ralph for what he's taught me: 

blog moved back here and fancying some chi kung

so a parent i am now and less time i have. I've lacked time to practice t'ai chi (at least I tell myself that), tried a little yoga but it didn't sit well with me - so fancying learning a little more about chi kung. Start with the ba duan jinn and see where we go i think - very curious about the bone/tendon strengthening stuff.

Blog moved to: http://www.craigbeattie.com/

Blog moved to: http://www.craigbeattie.com/