Hope Springs Eternal

I just tossed everything aside today and went out to greet Spring or should I say that she came to greet me?

First stop was what I’ve christened the ‘Primrose Road’ where the view of the fields was greener than green:

Green Green Grass of Home

and there they were:

Sweet Scented Primroses

Out by Fenor Bog, one word on a magnificent woodcarving in the graveyard of Fenor Church caught my eye:

Hope is something we all need in life and I guess that each and every one of us has a duty to spread as much hope, in even the tiniest ways, to try and ease the way for those who are caught in a quagmire of hopelessness. That quagmire can seize any of us in the blink of an eye.

Nature was certainly playing her part in singing hope for me today. Is any sight more uplifting than clusters of snowdrops …

and what about the loving scent of hyacinths:

 

Honesty ~ Gatherings from Ireland # 342

Sometimes coincidences are more than that ….. The other day I was doing a Wintery tidy up in the garden and started asking myself what I would like to be if I were a flower.

I thought long and hard about this and the major contenders were: Snowdrop, Daffodil and Honesty.  Eventually, I decided on Honesty because of the way in which it offers so much throughout the whole year; those lovely purple flowers in early Summer; translucent pods in Autumn and then sparkling silver in Winter, just when you most need it.

I was introduced to Honesty, in all senses, by my late Mother. She has to have been the most honest person I’ve  ever known and the Honesty that grows in my garden now came from a cutting from one of the many gardens that she master-minded.

The coincidence associated with Honesty is that it came to the fore recently in one of the Irish blogs, Sunny Spells and Scattered Showers,  that I see  everyday as having a major impact on ways of thinking about depression and mental health generally http://sunnyspellsandscatteredshowers.blogspot.ie/.

From my research work in the field of disability, and especially that with AWARE, I know that there is a huge need to break down barriers associated with the stigmatisation of people with mental illnesses.

Sunny Spells and Scattered Showers tells it how it is with depression ~ but most of all it is defined by honesty, courage and openness. It is a shining light, just like the Honesty that is shining bright in my garden right now.

The Tragedy of Suicide ~ Gatherings from Ireland # 39

Yesterday, I was shocked to read of the suicide of 22-year old, Mikey Clancy, who was a world class windsurfer from Dublin.  I know Mikey’s father, Michael Clancy,  from years back  as our paths first met when were both visiting  my father-in-law to be when he was undergoing chemotherapy in a Dublin hospital.  I was truly impressed with Michael Clancy from the moment I met him and saw a level of kindness and social conscience that is rare.

My heart goes out to Michael and his family on the death of their beloved Mikey and I want to lend my voice to his altruistic call, at this time of terrible grief, for all of us to do everything we possibly can to to  reverse the high rates of suicide that pervade our society;

Crucially, Mikey Clancy’s case points to the importance of ‘assuming nothing’ about people. The words ‘Assume Nothing’ were  the motto that hung on a rough piece of wood  in the surgery of arguably the most empathetic and insightful doctor I have ever met.

Let us all join with Mikey Clancy’s family in being more open about mental health issues and suicide, in particular. Let lives be saved in a tribute to this wonderful young man and his loving family.

Here is the  fine article, by Eamonn Sweeney,  that was printed about Mikey in the Sunday Independent yesterday. I think we can all  learn  from it.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/windsurfing-lets-talk-about-saving-lives-3358030.html )