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Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/books/item_id/1170988-Keeping-It-Together
Rated: 13+ · Book · Other · #1170988
Deep and meaningfuls that touch the sole as they come and go.
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only **

January 8, 2007 at 4:06am
January 8, 2007 at 4:06am
#479895
My daughter rang today to say that little mister 2yo had been stung by a wasp. My very brave daughter (24yo, mother of the mister 2yo) had dealt with the situation, albeit with a great deal of anxiety on her behalf, since she had a very serious history of bee stings.

She blogged
http://www.writing.com/main/books/item_id/954458
(mental not to self - learn WDC links instead of using url's)

Techie daughter said for me to write it like this:
"The Semi-Eventful Wasp Episode

IT all began when we had a tree with berries. The berries would ripen and the bees loved the very ripe fluid. They would swarm around all the bunches of berries and drink to their little hearts delight. But, as happens when one gets carried away and drinks fermenting liquids, they got drunk. In their stupor they would fall down on the ground, buzzing around in their drunken stupor. Silly bees didn't they know about hangovers the next day.

Anyway, as kids will do, they ran around the back garden with no shoes. The very talented author above was about 3yo at the time, totally innocent about crawling, biting, flying things, (much like her young 2yo) she ran right through them all. Squashing some and being stung by some. Her very surprised mother also came running outside to find out what all the screaming was about and found a few dozen bees around her, dopey, on the ground and loads more flying around dazed.

I stepped into the group (with shoes on) and picked her up, thus instantly escaping the dangers while shooing the other children into the house. My little darling had bee stings still in her feet. They were scraped aside and first aid was applied.

Yep, she had swollen feet but she got over that in a few days, it wasn’t enough to slow her down as she was still running around – inside.

That was late in the afternoon and by the time we had attended to her two little feet it was getting dark. The next morning all the bees were gone except for the squashed, dead ones. But we had the same occurrence the next afternoon with the bees but we watched them from inside the window on this occasion.

She only had a local reaction but there were many stings. The next time she got stung was some time later. Only one little sting but she got so swollen up I took her to the doctor. This one was also only a local reaction but the swelling was quite extensive.

The next time was much the same except she showed welts on other parts of her body as well. Up to the doctor again. This time they were very much more concerned and put her into the treatment room and laid her down (she was a little wheezy, too). We were told to keep a packet of anti-histamines around and if she gets another bee sting to give her one immediately and then get to medical help. (What makes them think she will get stung again?)

It was about this time that I did a “first aide” course. That was when I found out what was actually going on and how dangerous it was for her, that was when I found out that a bee sting could be life threatening.

Next time she got stung she was at school, I got a phone call, I rang the local GP to let them know I was on my way but they said that they had no doctor at the surgery and that I should go to the ER, so I dashed up to the school while grabbing the anti-histamines. We had welts and wheezes again. Each time the reaction became more and more serious.

Knowing more than I did the previous time I was a wreck. Daughter recovered with treatment of adrenalin this time and mother was a basket case.

Each time after that her reaction was just as serious. The doctor recommended a course of desensitisation injections. Each of those desensitisation injections she also needed adrenalin.

Added to this SHE carried around the anti-histamine tablets with her, in school bag. She needed a doctor’s letter with them in order to take them to school, if you please.

No kids were allowed to carry drugs in school (as was the drug policy at the time) we had to argue with the school, since they wanted to school nurse to be in control of the anti-histamine. The ‘sick room’ and nurse could be too far away for such an emergency, whereas her school bag would usually be closer, and the school nurse wasn’t always at the school and the ‘sick room’ was not supervised or attended.

When I went to the ‘sick room’ to see the nurse she wasn’t even there at the time and I waited an hour for her (I had an appointment) she apologized for being late. Her being late actually played into my hand (do you think I used it? Too right I did). That didn’t convince her. So I said that I would get a court order if I had to and keep my daughter out of school until it was resolved as this was a life-threatening situation. I told her that they were not looking out for the interest of their student, that they were blindly sticking to policy and not taking into account their ‘Duty of Care’. I told her that I would go to the media. (Mental not to self – start with the media) The mention of the media had an instant u-turn in her attitude or maybe she finally realized that I was serious and that this was not negotiable.

As long as my daughter kept them in her school bag and she didn’t brag about them being there, they would allow it - as a trial and only with a doctor’s letter insisting that she carry them with her. Done.

Sometimes a mother’s readiness to ROAR is underestimated.
December 31, 2006 at 9:42am
December 31, 2006 at 9:42am
#478053
Dear Afraid of using the Pen,

Imagine, if you will, first of all, that at the end you your life you have multiple books published and are making a living very comfortably from your writing. Your family all loves you and your lifestyle and you are happy and healthy.

Wouldn't you want to know how you got there? How many pens you used up and how many reams of paper you tore up to get there.

Talent grows with practice. Not only practice in actual writing but in thinking and feeling. Practice in reading good and not so good books so you can learn what not to do as well as what to do.

Have a mentor to share and encourage and give practical honest actual constructive criticism. Criticism you can learn from and grow with.

Write about your dreams at night while you were sleeping. Write about your daily activities and your thoughts and dreams (usually called blogs) they can be rehashed later into something that you can edit and use.

Is it selfish to write? If it gives you enjoyment then you will be a better person therefore a better friend and mother but these things need to be considered in balance. Allot time for each but as a writer more time will be allotted for that and other hobbies like drinking at the pub will have to go not the family needs.

The pursuit of selfish desire to write is no different then the pursuit of other people’s desires. Be it athletics, outing, pubbing, nightclubbing. Getting wasted any other way that may or may not be legal.

Writing as a hobby is not a terribly expensive hobby and may even be quite lucrative - eventually.

Be careful whom you share your writing with. Not everybody realizes the passion and time that goes into making something that you love and can minimize your treasure, your heart and sole, etc.

But most of all write with passion, write with humour. Believe in what you write.

If you love what you write it doesn't matter what others think of it. You won't keep everyone happy. You may as well love what you are doing. And do it with love.

Share you passion with others who do understand like at WDC. Join a club like WDC. Share your writing with friends like at WDC.

And most of all write with your sole, with all your heart, allow your greater self to guide you, your muse can amuse you and others with your writing.

Wash your fears away each day when you sleep. Have a day or two off from writing, it will give you perspective and refresh your direction.

~~ ~~ ~~

It was at this point that she called stop.

My daughter, Rebecca, challenged me to a writing race.

Ready, set, go. It felt like a 15-minute chase to the end.

It was a WDC speed writing game. Well that was what it felt like.

But, while knowing what I wanted to say/type, my fingers got all tangled up and I spent as much time on me ‘Backspace’ as I did on any other letter on the keyboard.

And then there was the dilemma. Do I worry about spelling it write (;)), do I worry about grammar or punctuation, But the chase was already on, so I just went for broke, correcting spelling where I noticed it and leaving it when I didn’t.

She even had the audacity to interrupt me with messages of ‘time to go’, (bet she was using that as a distracting ploy).

The topic was:

From "Pen on Fire" by Barbara DeMarco-Barrett:

Imagine a friend has come to you for help. She dreams of becoming a writer but is burdened by fears. She worries she has no talent and has nothing to say. Perhaps she worries she's taking precious time away from her family to pursue her selfish desire to write.

For Fifteen minutes, write to that friend and give her hope. Dispel each of her fears, one by one, so that when she is through talking with you and revealing her heart, she will be willing to try giving the writing life her best effort. Your words need to inspire her and help her through this difficult time.

 Invalid Item 
This item number is not valid.
#1196035 by Not Available.


After reading the other entry items, I considered myself the winner, since I kept to the topic and theme, as well as answering the question specifically.

Time to find another comp and get ready to give myself another pat on the back. Well, if I don’t, who will? Cheers

"Invalid Post"  
December 27, 2006 at 2:17am
December 27, 2006 at 2:17am
#477326
Do you know any 15-year-olds I could borrow? I need to tune in my new TV but it is getting the better of me. New DVD player may need hooking up properly maybe, too.

I have the DVD playing through the TV but I can't get the TV to work independently. Fifteen-year-olds are very good at this sort of thing but I don't know any. It is a bit too up-to-date techie for us older people.

Is this my subtle way of asking if I could get some help?

(Short Version)

Without a 15-year-olds help I am going to work my way through the User Manual, page by page, with the TV, and the remote control in front of me.

If I can't get it sorted in the next few days, I am going to go back to the dealer and ask them to arrange to have someone come and sort it out for me.

(Long Version)
If I were being subtle that would have been way too obvious. No, I did not intend to be subtle. It is just that I need to borrow someone who is 15-years-old.

I have found that 15-year-olds 'know everything' - and are really quite techie minded. Since this is quite new technology this would be something that they would find easy to do.

My daughter got it to work through the DVD by tuning in the DVD player to TV, so I can watch TV and DVD's through the DVD recorder/player. She has rigged up my VCR to the DVD. I can also use the DVD player to watch live TV and use the play back feature and pause live TV, too.

I took the Operating Instructions for the LCD TV to work, to read during my break, therefore I have read it right through. It seems to say that I have teletext but I can't get it going. It seems to say that the TV screen tilts but I can't tilt it. And I haven't got the TV tuned in to pick up TV independently from the DVD player/recorder. AND I want to link up my Xbox too.

I realize that I could probably do it myself but I seem to be in denial and I get quite angry at the stupid thing when it doesn't do what I want/expect it to do. I actually knew this would be a problem which is why I resisted getting a new TV and DVD player when my old VCR packed up (the antenna thingy broke) and when I bought the new DVD player it wouldn't rig up to the very old TV. So I went back the next day to buy a new TV to go with the DVD player. I probably just need to reread the book over and over until all the bits fall into a frame of reference so that it eventually makes since to me.

Now, I sit and pout, and behave all defeated. Instead of pulling my finger out, doing what has to be done, and working my way through the book, page by page, with the manual and the TV and the remote control in front of me.

It is coming up to four years now and I am still letting this denial beat me. My mum would tell me to just get over it, that I am just being stupid (she is not a particularly sympathetic type of person). Getting this stuff now (just before Christmas) was a mistake since the Christmas season always brings up feelings of grief. Mental not to self - don't buy TV's VCR's DVD's or Games just before Christmas. You see my son, would do all this sort of stuff, so I never needed to tune in a TV or connect up TVs and Video, and I never had a DVD before he died. When he died I found that I was lost, faced with these plug in, tune in problems. I miss him terribly, and just fall apart emotionally, when faced with stuff I am left to do, when I still need him to do them for me. Now he has died and I feel helpless and alone and defeated. Our children are not supposed to die first.

How do people manage who don't have their adult children to help them? I suppose I could go back to the dealer and ask them to arrange to have someone come and sort it out for me. Now that is actually a great brainwave. If I can't get it sorted in the next few days, I might just do that next week.

Now I depend on my daughter (who is busy with her own family). She helps with everything in my life that I need help with (I don’t know what I would do without out my daughter). Then I rely on others who happen to be around at the time, but then I would never be able to stand on my own two feet (so to speak), and there are so many things in my life like this, that I feel keeps defeating me, so I need to find ways to spread my dependency around and avoid relying on the same people all the time, for help when I can't (or don’t want to) do things on my own (which has been quite often lately). Since I don't wish to live life isolated, I reach out. Instead of being independent, I allow myself a little inter-dependent in order to hold my isolation cocoon from crushing me.

I have managed without asking for help outside the family up until recently and so I can manage without asking for it now. It just doesn't feel right to keep depending on someone else when I should be taking care of these things for myself.

With my anti-social work hours I don't have a vast array of friends.

So for now, I am going to face my demons. Work my way through the User Manual, page by page, with the TV, and the remote control in front of me.

Hopefully I won't completely stuff it up trying to sort it out myself.

(Up Date, the next day.)

The DVD/TV is finally mastered. I wasn't letting that little bit of modern technology beat me.

I work my way through the User Manual, page by page, with the TV, and the remote control in front of me, and had some success. I went to bed at dawn. TV is tuned into the number channels that I want. I found that by putting the Antenna directly into the TV I was able to tune in the TV and work the teletex. I found that I need a cable and an antenna/double-adapter to hook up the antenna directly to both the DVD and the TV in order that the TV will work independently (I may have both left over in my sons box of tricks which I will rummage through today) or get from Tandy's tomorrow.

I am learning to do quite a lot of things on my own. It is quite liberating. Perhaps it sabotages potential transient friendships by being too independent, but weighed again wasting other peoples time and effort it is better that I manage alone.

Now I look around at other techie stuff to begin to master.

Getting up to date with technology.
December 21, 2006 at 12:02am
December 21, 2006 at 12:02am
#476366
A lesson, from Mike, on “The Law of Abundance” has had a great impact in my life.

A year or two ago Mike brought in some little red boxes to our group meeting when he was teaching us the “Law of Abundance”.

That little red box, which I took home at the end of the meeting, has been collecting dust ever since.

I keep it in my bedroom (where it gets dusty) and from time to time during the week, I pop in 50c coins that I had been given in change. We were encouraged to put in the box whatever we could, at the time I ‘could’ put in 50c coins.

The idea is to collect money in order to give it away – in a charitable endeavour.

As I place the coins into the box I read the note Mike gave to us on the day, which says:

“Prayer for the Comprehension of the Law of Abundance.

We are all one, connected by a bond
that makes us Brothers and Sisters.
What I have and can do
is for the benefit of others.
My existence depends on your efforts;
yours on mine and we all depend on what others do.
Things that others need will be given to me
so that I can distribute them
in accordance with this Cosmic Plan.”

This little strip of paper with the verse on it was to be read each and every time when the box had coins added.

The idea works along the line that the tighter we hold on to our money the less we have, the more we share the more we have. The Cosmic Law delivers to us that which we need and give, so the more we give the more we get. Therefore by sharing willingly, the more abundance we attract.

I see that giving to charities is an easy enough way to give. There is no brain drain when it comes to who, what, when, or where of the giving.

There are many worthy charities around so the process of giving is just to pick one or two or more each time the little box needs emptying.

When someone wanted a ‘hand-out’ without even trying to help him or herself along the road, they would be unsuccessful. When someone was struggling along, on their own, knowing ‘God helps those who are helping themselves’ then a little extra help along the way was forthcoming.

Sometimes I would come across a worthy cause, that may not be a charity in the official sense of the word, but that in doing my small deed it made a difference in the life of another. I would consider this a cosmic opportunity that had been presented to me to be of service. Sometimes it was possible to do this service anonymously, sometimes it was not, but either way the service was accomplished.

Being benevolent has its rewards. Have you ever found a coin in the street? I know my inner child would get such a thrill and retrieve it as though it is a lucky coin. I know what a thrill I had as a child when I found a coin. Later on I could pass the coin and let a child find it. Now days I like to drop the coin for children or the inner child of an adult to find. Sometimes I may even be around long enough to see the child pick it up. It always puts a smile on their face.

Lotto is an easy charity to give to, as they do a lot of good work with the money we give to them. With those little lotto wins we donate the money back again to lotto the next time or it goes towards another benefactor.

I have lost count of the amount of money that has come and gone from this dusty little red box.

The little red box has a sister box now that I keep my $1 coins in, it is now doing the same job as the little red box.

It has been interesting to find, that over the time since I began taking care of my little red box, my abundance has grown and grown.

In the beginning, I remembered sometimes that Charity begins at home – so when I was short of change, it saved me on several occasions. Later it saved others in small ways. Recently we had a group project that needed a not-so-little input so out came the little red box and the Charity money supplied exactly what we needed.

Now the box is so full that I found I had to be careful when I lifted it. I don’t remember putting that many coins in there but over time it has grown and grown. It is time again to find a charity to empty my dusty little red box, to make room for some more coins.

It sounded like a simple thing to do at the time and the lesson seemed easy enough to achieve but what I have received from taking part on an ongoing basis is that from small coins great things can be achieved. The sense of these achievements far outweighs those small coins that began the process and I feel wealthier than ever before.

Thanks to that lesson, which may have been a little lesson at the time, it has been a lesson that, in my world, has grown and grown, and with it so has my abundance.
December 16, 2006 at 11:27pm
December 16, 2006 at 11:27pm
#475572
Since I worked afternoon shift at the local Nursing Home I thought I had my diabetes and my meals all worked out.

As a newly diagnosed diabetic it is important for me to eat a decent meal in my dinner break. I had been taking a frozen dinner to work with me and when it was time for my meal I then zapped it in the microwave. Easy, or so I thought.

Easy, until last night. You see, last night we had a power break from 5pm to 7.30pm. Although until 7.30pm we had no idea when the power would be back on.

Having started work at 3.30pm, I was on shift until 10pm, with a 30-minute meal break around 6pm. I was managing my diabetes quite well, up until then, as it was easy to take a frozen dinner to work and warming it up in the microwave before eating it. Some people would say that microwaves were not the best choice but in this modern day and age it works for me.

I had taken an apple with me so the apple had to do until the power came back on. There are always biscuits in the staff room so I knew I was going to be all right even if biscuits were usually the type of food I would consider to be off the menu (along with cakes and sweets and deserts and chocolate and confectionary).

I carry a Blood Glucose Monitor with me to keep an eye on how my Blood Sugar Level is cruising. But having had a busy shift up until tea time it was getting close to time to eat before running out of steam and getting myself into trouble (diabetically speaking). The diabetic training taught me to carry sugar sweets with me so that I can manage any hypos at any time, so I was not really in any danger.

Fortunately I live 5 minutes away from the nursing home so I could have gone home to get something else to eat, but I didn’t think of that until after the power was back on. (Being that it was the first time I had run into this problem since being diagnosed.)

Maybe taking frozen dinners into work with me is no longer a really good idea. Especially since we have power shortages quiet often (and it always seems to be around tea time).

As I am required to eat carbohydrates with every meal, I thought taking salad sandwiches to work with me might be a better idea in the future.

I am still thinking of other ways I could have managed the problem. Anyone have any other ideas? Anyone run into similar problems, how did you manage it?
December 2, 2006 at 5:18am
December 2, 2006 at 5:18am
#472539
Three weeks !! ... is that all ?? ... I haven't even written out my Christmas Cards. I usually start with a list of family and friends who will have something under the tree from me. Then I write out ideas and go get that. Sometimes it changes due to inspiration while shopping.

I get a few extra boxes of Chocolates just in case I missed someone AND so if I didn't miss anyone I would have a new years self-wrapped gift to open a few days after Christmas, when all MY Christmas chocolate gifts were gone, and I was on the hunt for more.

The Christmas tree goes up around 12 Days before Christmas and comes down around 12 Days after Christmas (give or take the weekend). Each year I have to decide wheather to use a Star or an Angel on top of the tree. I like to vary that from year to year. (I don't know why). One year I came home and found the children had gotten together and put the whole tree up and decorated it themselves. I was so pleased to find it all done.

These days I have the help of my granddaughter to help. I borrow her for the day and we have a day of bliss.

I don't mind the crowds in the shop or waiting at the tills what I do mind is the parking (or should I say, 'lack of') it seems that everyone is rushing around at the last minute.

This year might be different for me since I have the daytime off work as I work late afternoons and evenings. So shopping in the mornings may be easier this year.

One year I hadn't even gotten around to wrapping the gifts when Christmas morning had dawned. The family was arriving and we were off to another relatives for the day. My family helped me wrap and tag all the gifts so the gifts were presentable, before packing them all in the car to take with us. I was so touched that they would rally around and offer support in that way.

I have found that books are easy to wrap and can be bought with individuals in mind. Jig-saw puzzle boxes are usually easy to wrap, too, but are easy to guess as well with just a little rattle.

On Christmas (and on other celebrations) we light a candle to honour Gaelon's presence in our home. It was a tradition that was started in 2003. It is hard to 'celebrate' when there is an empty place at the table because one of our nearest and dearest has already gone to heaven. Lighting a candle helps us to acknowledge and remember that our loved ones are a light in our hearts and never forgotten.

We all have varying traditions at this time of year. Be at peace with yours.
Let your loved ones know how much you care about their welfare and make them feel welcome in your home.
November 27, 2006 at 11:23pm
November 27, 2006 at 11:23pm
#471649
Part 1

Have you ever been Out to Dinner?

We made the mistake of arriving at the restaurant already hungry. The smells
wafting through the car park and we hadn't even entered the doorway yet.
Usually we would have had a late snack, just to ward off the grumbling
tummies while reading the menu. The menu! With mouth-watering descriptions
of the banquet to come. Choosing anything you want without looking at the
prices on the right hand side. For me, picking the dessert, before having
eaten dinner, knowing that dessert is the best part of the meal.

When entering the door we were mortified to find a queue; other diners
waiting to be seated. You could tell who had their snack before coming, they
were waiting patiently. While the others like ourselves were hopping around
looking ahead, eagerly checking out the progress, anticipating the time we
would have to wait before being seated.

Everything seemed to be going so slow. Yet, really, in its own time it
wouldn't be long before we would be enjoying the meals that the earlier
diners had already chosen from their menu. The people ahead move along as
the waiter seats the next diners. We realise that we are waiting for other
diners to leave to make room for the clean up crew and then for the new
guests to be seated.

It all seemed to be going like clockwork. As one set finish, another set
take their place. And finally it is our turn. It is announced that our table
is ready. We are seated. The waiter takes our order and walks of to the
kitchen giving us a moment or two to say Grace,

"Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for your many blessings bestowed upon us over our lifetime.
Bless the people who are near and dear to us. And those who are not, but so
much need, your blessings.
Bless the nurses and doctors who have kept me safe, with your guidance I
have come this far.
Bless the teachers who have developed my learning, to appreciate all good
things.
Bless the food and all those who were involved in helping you bring it to
our table.

Amen"


Part 2

Now at a much grander restaurant is another Dinner Feast.

It is with much relief that I can announce that at 10.15am this morning,
Saturday 22nd March 2003, Gaelon passed away peacefully in his sleep.

It is as if -
"Death is like God's way of saying,
Gaelon, Your Table Is Ready."

Can you imagine the feast?

As Gaelon looks around the restaurant he recognizes many of the faces. There
is Ruth a teacher from school, boy how she glows and doesn't she have a
splendid warm and welcoming smile. There is Kylie his playmate from when he
was 2, she looks fit and well now. There is Paul, mums’ friend from work, who
helped Gaelon with his Playstation Games, along with many other warm and
welcoming faces.

People Gaelon had loved and known, along with people who loved and knew him,
were all there to welcome him home. It is amazing to see how many lives have
been touched by one soul.

Gaelon's grandfather calls over to Gaelon, "Gaelon, Gaelon, come, take a
seat with us at our table."
Gaelon joins the family's table while others closed around to welcome him
home and the Festivities begin.

While, we here, will dearly miss Gaelon, you can see he is safely home.

The very kindest regards

Life may not be the party we hoped for,
but while we are here we might as well dance.
November 9, 2006 at 9:47pm
November 9, 2006 at 9:47pm
#467761
This is my first entry, going solo, since my daughter has been leading the way as I learn 'how to' within this site.
I still have to work out how to enter comps. (To my daughter - Thank you for being my guide. What would I do without you?)

First Kiss

A friend sent me this as an email: -

“Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“I remember my first real girlfriend kiss. (3 years ago) She tried to slip the tongue in, and I swear with no word of exaggeration, my first thought was, "Aaaarr, it feels like a slug trying to burrow into my mouth!!!!" And I had the expression to go with it. Didn't really go down well. And things didn't really improve all that much either. I am definitely not a kissing person. I do better with hugs.”


I don’t remember how we got into talking about first kisses, but nevertheless this was my reply.


I read this when checking my emails, after getting back from a night at the theatre. Then I went to bed. It is funny what gets triggered in the middle of the night from your casual comment earlier in the day.

Last night you had me thinking of the awkwardness of my first kiss; who it was; where it was; and when it was. I was all of 15 or 16 at the time but since I don't kiss and tell the rest remains silent.

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I remember my first real girlfriend kiss. (3 years ago) She tried to slip the tongue in"

It sound like you weren't expecting it or even emotionally ready for it at the time. The wrong time and place or the wrong person can upset the whole process.

I always thought the guy should be the one to make the move anyway. Having had all green lights on the way so he could be sure she would welcome the approach. There is nothing worse than rejection at that awkward point. Maybe these days' girls are taking more of an initiative in these matters.

Who knows, go with the flow. I'm really not much of an expert in these things in the first place, since I'm too way out of practice these days.

Kissing seems to be an exchange of bodily fluids that, as a nurse, isn't very hygienic.

Dental hygiene, bad breath or bad body odour can also mess up the moment.

What either partner has been eating can mess up the occasion e.g. onions, garlic or something that the other person doesn't like (yuk peanut butter).

On the other hand this could be overcome and it could actually cause a kiss eg. chocolate lol. Enjoying the same meal (same food). Pizza etc.

There are all sorts of kisses. An elderly gentleman frind kisses hands. That is not the same as ‘a slug trying to burrow into my mouth!!!!’, or a kiss between parents and children; or Nanna and grandchildren. They are the cuddly, snuggly, kiss on the side of the face or forehead.

Then there are the blowing kisses i.e. kiss the palm of the hand and blowing it into the direction of the intended person. New-to-me is the butterfly kisses, which is kissing the tip of each finger and tickling the other person.

Then there are the more intimate kisses. The kisses that run up an arm or across the back of the neck with the heat of the exhaled breathes. Now that will warm up other places. I think I have been reading too many romance novels.

Now you can probably think of other kinds of kisses, too.

There was one kiss that happened to me quite recently that opened my heart. I hadn't even realized my heart was so closed until then, since when it happened, my heart actually felt quiet painful.

I was just leaving the room and had turned the light out when, with a very small voice, came the words, "Will you kiss me good night, my daughter always used to kiss me good night?"

So I walked back to the bed and leaned over and gave her a hug and a kiss on the temple saying, "It would be my sincere pleasure to give you a kiss good night. Sweet dreams." As I walked through the door, quietly closing it behind me, tears welled up in my eyes and a lump came to my throat.

Usually with dementia the residents would refer to their mum or their dad so it took me by surprise when she said referred to her daughter. This is a sweet little old lady who, at that moment, got into my heart.

While nursing regular in a Nursing Home we get to know our residents quite well and we do get to really care about some of them. Then there are some of them that touch our hearts and when they go to heaven we cry. This lady reached right in and touched my heart.

It is the unexpected responses that still surprise me from time to time; that was one of them. It gave me a measure of where love is missing in my life.

And then there are hugs. Hugs are another topic altogether.

Cheers (fizzgig)

~ To err is human....to purr is feline ~


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