by Peg Prendeville

Wednesday is World Kindness Day. I know there is a topic for every day of the year and every week of the year and, to be honest, I tend to dismiss them all. But this one caught my attention. It’s a message from Acquired Brain Injury Ireland who say “we want to remind you to be kind and understanding to everyone you meet. Brain injuries are invisible and because of that, many brain injury survivors are often misjudged. Just because they look “completely fine”, it does not mean they don’t struggle with certain things, such as memory problems or communication difficulties. We never know the battles someone is facing so please choose to be kind! Anyone can get a brain injury at any time and there should never be any judgment or shame. Instead, we need to show understanding and kindness.” I know that a Stroke is a brain injury and I can see the fallout from that every day. A person may look great but the hidden brain injuries are invisible to all but those who live with them. Just a little thought for today.

A little gathering was held recently for Helena Flavin who worked in Newcastlewest library since 1985 but who retired this year. I had the pleasure of working with her for two years and want to wish her and her husband Mike and son Tom many happy years ahead. No doubt she will put her energy and creativity to other uses as time goes on. She was dedicated to her job and so generous and kind to all with whom she worked.

There are whispers going round that work on the new Knockdown shop will begin early in the New Year. We can’t wait for it to come back as it is badly missed in the area and beyond.

I recently came across the following article and thought it was no bad idea. Here is a snippet.

“I didn’t like winter back then. Like many people on the Earth path, I struggled with the increasing expectations as we approached Christmas. It felt counter-intuitive to what I wanted to do: snuggle up at home and take the pace down a notch or three. Yet, there were work projects that ‘had to get done in time for Christmas’. And as work demands increased, social pressures did too. There were Christmas parties, family expectations, and Christmas shopping beckoned.
Yet, when I looked outside, nature was doing the exact opposite of what I was doing. There was a gradual slowing down. The trees shed their leaves, and the mammals crawled into their dens. As the ground froze over, a stillness enveloped the countryside. It was peaceful and calm, a far cry from my life and how I felt inside.
This realisation led me to take steps to align myself with what nature was doing so I shifted my focus to celebrating the turn in the wheel of the year and now, I look forward to winter. “