It’s been an eventful week here…a week that has seen an emotional rollar-coaster ride of worry and relief, of sleepless nights and stress for all of us…

It’s all been related to a nasty health scare that one of our number found themselves subjected to…put simply, the words of a certain Mr. McGraw:-

“I spent most of the next days, looking at the x-rays, talking ’bout the options and talking ’bout sweet time.”

…were certainly ringing in my ears.

With brave faces, but a due sense of anxiety and trepidation we headed to the hospital together to hear the diagnosis. Sitting in the waiting room, time seemed to slow to a crawl and I kept trying not to fidget and to appear positive and cheerful…at least outwardly.

Thankfully, the news was almost as good as it could have been and as I heard it, I felt relief wash over me in waves. I am not a religious man, but as I stood outside in the hospital car park under the warm September sun with my closest friends, I offered up a silent thanks to the incredibly benevolent force, whose presence I distinctly felt at that moment…

That evening, as we sat out under the stars at a good local pub, eating, drinking, laughing and just enjoying each others’ company, I looked at the faces of my friends and saw in each of them, a spark of the pure divinity, that is life. At that moment, I resolved to stop spending so much of my limited time just existing…and start living again.

…and he said someday I hope you get the chance to live like you were dying…

…I’ll let you know how I get on.

+20