Back to Living

Re-establishing Order
It's been a pretty demanding week, yet I am blessed with another day's grace from facing work. We have a mid-year break long weekend. Today I get my home in order! It's ridiculously messy and chaotic. I have been coming and going for almost a week. So many family members have been at my parents home and so I have spent most of my time there.
Little Incident
We had a thief in the early hours of Wednesday morning, last week. I disturbed him/her because I was sleepless and stepped out my front door and noticed the light on in my car. I panicked, rushed back into the house and locked the front door. I lay in bed really still hoping I was wrong. Pathetic reaction I know. When I told the men in my life the next day, they dismissed it as a reflection. With all the chaos, Andy didn't notice until Saturday that his good camera had disappeared from his car. He phoned the police, who came around and took a statement. An hour later they phoned to say they had the camera and had caught the culprit. Great result.
Pa
There is so much to say one day about my amazing grandfather. I am bursting with gratitude right in this moment for having been blessed with such a role model and loving person in my life. Other moments I feel crushed and just want to pop over and visit him one more time.
Support
I have received so much support and love from others. Visits, flowers, chocolates, consoling books, phone calls and a most wonderful card from my students. The card had a loving message from each kid in my class and I can't find words to express how much that meant to me. I knew I had an awesome group this year and they just keep proving me right.
Raining Challenges
When I look back on the last two weeks, I feel strong. Apart from the shattering loss of Pa, I've had gastro/flu, a theft, we had a fire at our school and the art rooms burnt down last weekend (not that I was too helpful as I've been so absent lately) and numerous small incidents that occur when large families gather, yet it's over now and I am ready to return to living.

I'll leave you with this quote from my Pa that captures his essence brilliantly. He said this at my cousins wedding in his speech a couple of years ago:

"It doesn't matter what wealth or worldly goods you accumulate in this life, the most important asset you will ever acquire is your family"

Cyril Lyons 2005