Saturday 25 October 2014

Day Fifteen

1. Party On


I think this is the first day I am really struggling to get into the zone to write. Not surprising at all as it was one of those nights with several leaking stoma bags and bag changes. Despite this, I still had to get up relatively early to tidy and clean the house before decorating it and getting Wills ready for his Halloween Party. When Wills and I had to sit down and talk about the situation he is in while waiting for his re-transplant and the potential risks of having it, our team suggested that we made a wish list of things he wanted to to while we are waiting. One of the things we decided to do was to have a party at every excuse there is for one. So, today, we had a Halloween Party.



I know Halloween is a bit of a controversial festival, especially among religious and spiritual people. But I love it. I think it is a time so rich in tradition and folklore and a time where pagan and celtic ideas and customs have blended with religious ones in so many creative ways. A lot of things that critics believe are in celebration of evil actually originate from practises to ward it away, or to celebrate the souls of loved ones. Take the Jack-O-Lanterns for example. The Celts lit fires in their homes to guide the souls of loved ones back during their earthly visits on All Souls Night, or All Hallows Eve. Dressing up also comes from The Celts as they believed ghosts walked the earth on All Hallows Eve and, if they dressed as one themselves, they wouldn’t be noticed by any whose company they didn’t wish to keep. Trick or treat and partying comes from the Christian tradition of sharing and giving out soul cakes, spicy bread buns like hot cross buns without the fruit or cross.
There is so so much more too. I think it’s a shame these traditions are being lost as, rather than a time full of plastic tack and over priced novelty sweets, Halloween could and should, be a time full of delicious traditional practises around candles, bonfires, food and celebration of the people we loved and who no longer live with us here.

This year is all about doing it William’s way though and that involved a party today and trick or treating with some friends on Friday. We will talk about the old traditions though and I think I may well slip some soul cakes into the celebrations. Today, we dressed up, played games, shared scary stories and carved pumpkins. Aside from a bowel of sweets and a few crisps we didn’t have any food as it’s seemed a bit cruel to William to fill a table with witch finger hot dogs, worms in jelly, spider web cakes and other such children’s party treats only for him to have to sit and watch them. It’s torture for him.  Next year we’ll have a huge Halloween Feast!



2. Are We Nearly There Yet 


Wills is a brave little solider and, unless he is in agony,  hates letting me know when he is feeling rough. He can be as pale as pale and rubbing his tummy but will say he's fine, then later say he's been feeling bad all day. He'll fall asleep mid sentence and deny being tired, in fact, he'll deny falling asleep and say instead he was 'deep in thought.'  I see the trend for feeling a bit yukky, looking shattered and being 'deep in thought,' is a downward spiral at the moment. Gradual thankfully but enough to see a difference over the weeks. Today, he had had enough after about an hour of the party. The only clue I get from Wills about how he is experiencing this himself is that he has started asking me almost every night at bed time, 'When will we get the call?' Of course, I can't answer and that led me to this doodle of a rough poem;


Are we nearly there yet?
I’ve no idea my son.
But you’re the driver mummy!
Not now my little one.

How much longer is it?
I haven’t got a clue.
But you’re the one who’s taking me
If only that were true.

Do you even know where we’re going?
I do, but I don’t know the way.
We’re lost then?
No, not lost my child
we will get there, one day.


3. Miracles don't happen anymore?

This is a 'found poem' I wrote at the time the footballer, Fabrice Muamba, died on the pitch and was revived. A found poem is where you organise existing material into a poem or, in this case, more of a piece of prose. I had forgotten about this and found it today so I tidied it up a bit. The sources from from The Bible (in normal font)  and Twitter (in italics).



Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair, her brother Lazarus was ill.

On our way to London after good training session. #COYW

Just reach white hart lane. #COYW lets have it now.

Muamba collapsed face down with no-one near him.
He's just been stretchered into the tunnel for  more private resuscitation. 
Match abandoned.

ESPN tunnel reporter says that many of the players have tears in their eyes, and that Muamba wasn't breathing when he was stretchered off.

So the sisters sent a message to Jesus. Lord, he who you love is ill.

Please please please let Fabrice Muamba make it. Praying! #pray4Muamba

But when Jesus heard it, he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’

God is in control. Please keep @fmuamba in ur prayers xx


He said to His disciples, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there
to waken him. Then Jesus told them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead. But let us go to him.

A joint statement issued by the hospital & Bolton on Sunday evening said "Fabrice Muamba remains in a critical condition in intensive care”

When Jesus arrived, He found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of Him. Jesus said to her, Your brother will rise again. I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live. Do you believe in this? She said, ‘Yes Lord.’

Fabrice WILL!! Pull through because God is good. Love u so much @fmuamba keep strong we're praying for u honey xx

Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone. Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out.

Fabrice Muamba's heart is now beating without medication and his arms & legs have shown movement" Great news! #Pray4muamba.

Please keep praying for @fmuamba it’s really helping I can feel it xx Muamba able to recognise family members and respond to question.

Fabrice has felt every single prayer guys you've been INCREDIBLE!!!. Thank u all so so much I love and appreciate u all. Thank u again xx

All your prayers are working people thank u so so much. Every prayer makes him stronger. To God be the glory.

Did I not tell you that, if you believed, you would see the Glory of God?

"If I was ever going to use term miraculous it could be used here". Spurs fan & cardiologist on Fabrice Muamba's recovery.” Great news!

God’s amazing!

Muamba 'Talking And Laughing' In Hospital.

"Dead for 78 minutes" (Muamba). Absolutely extraordinary.
Fabrice Muamba on the mend but 'in effect, he was dead' says doctor.

And Jesus looked upwards and said, ‘Father, I thank you for having heard me.’

Faith can move mountains.

Hashtag #ThankYouGodAlways now trending worldwide.

Highly blessed and favoured children of God always have faith. Thank u 4 ur prayers, love and support.

#PrayForMuamba pray for other people too, basically pray more yep, that's it, just pray 

#prayerispowerful.

A found poem taken from John 11 vs-1-45 (abridged and slightly rearranged) and tweets taken from the following Twitter feeds between March 17th and 21st 2012; @jrmuamba @SkySports, @Tottenham_Live, @GeoffShreeves, @GeorgeElokobi, @ShuanaMuamba @SkySportsNews @FourFourTwo @SuperSportBlitz @SkyNews @ @iansabbath @BearGrylls @Carrima, @Telegraph, @IndiaKnight @Guardiannews @VickyBeeching




If you are not on the organ donor register, please do click here for more information and to sign up.



If you are enjoying this blog, please help me to keep going and help crowdfund my Three A Day: Waiting project  and get some lovely postcards and an anthology, limited for only those who support and invest in the project.

No comments:

Post a Comment