I had a massage today, and as I was lying there I realized how blissfully unaware I was of my paralysis, not just then, but quite a lot of the time. This is good news, but also has its downside because when I am rudely reminded of my physical restrictions [can't hug my family, go cycling, etc.] and vulnerabilities [pressure sores, shortness of breath], I am temporarily reminded of my challenge.

Nothing wrong with a challenge however. Removing or dealing with obstacles in one’s path is part of life and brings enjoyment, a sense of achievement, a feeling of worth. Helping others deal with their obstacles adds even further delight. This is living life. And I am grateful for life.

It’s been almost a year since my accident, and in a weird kind of way time seems to have flown . Especially since my return home over five months ago. I am gradually establishing my boundaries, settling into new routines, reassessing habitual thought patterns. I have been pleasantly surprised observing the quality of various relationships I have with others, and humbled by the depth and extent of responses to my situation especially visible on this website. It is on my agenda to try and respond individually to comments, good wishes and general good intent, be it by e-mail, phone call or face-to-face thanks. A good opportunity for this (for Zimbabwe residents) will be an open house braai at home, probably in 2 to 3 weekends time-I will ask Sally to put a post up when we have a suitable date. This will be an anniversary event, celebrating an extra year of life and toasting many more to come..

In the meantime, Sally and the girls are getting on well. They have just got from my holiday in Durban and Sally, whilst already at work, is also back on her bike enjoying this passion and bracing herself for our next grand project which will be to build a dream (and wheelchair friendly) house. Ciara is still very enthusiastic with Bugsy, her very cute new pet hamster whilst Erin, a real drama queen, entertains us more and more with a character that whilst cute now, I suspect will be a real handful in teenage years!

I will definitely be making more of an effort to post regularly to the website. In the meantime, be healthy, positive and wise.

Tom

[Footnote- It is quite incredible to reflect on the power of the mind and what it has the ability to accept as normal. Interestingly, careful further reflection reveals that everybody's normal is unique to them even though we are seldom mindful of this enough to respect others' attitudes, moods or expectations].