by Kathleen Mullane

Hello  everyone, hopefully  the past week has been  alright for all of you with no major difficulties,  and for those who had been  cocooning for  the past  while it must be a real breath of fresh air  to be able to move out within 5 know of one’s home. We didn’t  realise how wonderful   it was to have the freedom to do so. Hopefully, in the not too distant  future, things will slowly  return  to some forms of near normality, especially  for the leaving certs who are in a sort of limbo not knowing for sure the outcome of their exams.  Do not despair however you have years to achieve  whatever  you had planned and you will look back in the future and wonder why did you stress and worry so much. Maybe a little word with the  man above might help.

Many congrats are extended  to David and Aisling Brosnan on the birth of their new baby, a little boy they are naming Daithi, a little brother for Sean óg. Sincere congrats also to the proud grandparents Denise and John McAuliffe of Lower Athea and Micheal Brosnan of Upper Athea.

Congrats also to my nephew Jamie Hayes in Brisbane , Australia  who celebrates a very important birthday this week along with his wife Cherie and boys Alex and Jack.

It was lovely to be able to join in the Mass for the late Christy o Connell from St Ambrose  Barlow Church  in Birmingham  on Wednesday  morning . Technology  at these sad times is a God send for bereaved  families. May he rest in peace.

I was relieved this week that my daughter Marielle and her husband Dave in America, despite testing  positive  for the coronary virus have come out the other side. Her husband only had symptoms  of tiredness and she being very sick early on in the time and better off maybe not realising she had it. It affects people in different  ways.

Don’t forget to donate if you can to Pieta House on may 9 the Darkness into Light will be  missed  this year no doubt a major fundraiser.

If the children at home are looking for something to do with their time, they could make a May altar with a candle, a few wild flowers and a statue of Our Lady. This was always in every house over the years.

Take care for the week ahead again and don’t let little things let you down. Be glad of what we have and be happy to be alive.