It’s only part of living….

That is how my dad explained his immenant death to his granddaughter,my daughter.He was told in October 2010 that he had terminal cancer and he died on the 6th of Feb 2011.He was truely an amazing man,who accepted his death with joy and grace.It’s not that he was a saint, he could course and swear with the best,and he had a vicious tongue when pushed,but for the most part he was mild mannered and loving.

He took on the challenge of his illness in pretty much tthe same way  he took on everything else in his life,by knuckling down and getting on with it.He met with all his family and as many of his friends as was possible and made sure that there was nothing left unsaid.He gave away the last of his possessions,including his clothes, car, motorised buggy,wheelchair,the lot,as he said himself.He did his best to let go of everything,so that he crosssed to meet his wife carrying as little as possible.

It’s strange when you see someone in their last days and experience how little they need and how little the material things matters.The stuff we strive for and sacrefice for is of little use when you are on your death bed.We know this logically,yet somehow we still getwrapped up in the rush to accumulate.

They say that you only truely grow up when both your parents have passed.I have to say I have found that to be so true and so weird.The whole shift in family dynamic is unreal and takes a little getting used to .It’s an amazing time  of reflection and it really gets you to face your ownspace and how you fill it and what energy you fill it with.I have been challlenged to examine what is important and then what is really important.It’s also a really emotional time, when your love for siblings and family is highlighted and the love for parents is heightened as you remember the good times and dwell on the positive memories.

So ,now it’s time to move on and what a time it is.The planet is changing at an accelerated pace.There are physical uprisings in the shape of earthquakes,tsunamis and tornadoes as well as economic uprisings in terms of recessions in places like Ireland,Europe and the U.S.,while there is a boom in places like China,India and Brazil.

The sun has been shining on Ireland for weeks and it has lifted spirits and dimmed the memory of the harsh winter.Things are changing for the better.There is a definite sense of a positive shift in business sentiment as people begin to realise that there are opportunities in every market.It seems that anyone living the 3R credo of the Dali Lama,i.e.Respect Yourself, Respect Others,take Responsibilty, either conciously or otherwise,seem to be thriving in this environment. Now is the time to