2015: Year of the Pen
We’re a few days into the New Year already, and I’m looking forward to sitting down in Starbucks Ireland once again. Parker pen, a large latte and carrot cake to take me through the thoughts in my mind while a new notebook waits for thoughts that sound like words; with emotions that sound like sentences or paragraphs. Life’s the story; my family, friends & MS gang, my inspiration. This year will mark my fourth year of blogging, although mentally blog ‘posts’ are now called ‘articles’ and blogging turned into ‘writing’. No, it’s not a matter of being arrogant, being a social climber, or being above ‘mere’ blogging. Writing simply became a lot more than blogging. Writing became a lifestyle.
Ireland, still here
"Ireland is still the protagonist in my life that runs away with its stories, and drags me along in its clear chants and rebel songs. I hear tears falling on the sound of uilleann pipes; I feel the waves when I read Seamus Heaney’s ‘Lovers on Aran’. I’ve walked with James Joyce and listened to William Butler Yeats. It feels as if my heart came home. In my mind, I was already part of Ireland."
How to wrap friendship
Friends reply less when words fall between the cracks of self-censorship. When they decide to stay away, it’s up to us to never think any less of the friends who stay away. I consider it a justified reaction. I’m also on the other side of the scale where I chose to stay away from certain people because of their words.
12 years of poetry, books & dreams
12 years ago, on this very day, I moved to Ireland. Sometimes it still feels like a dream within a dream, of seeing, hearing and feeling new stories, of meeting wise and old, playful and young. Thinking back, I always have William Butler Yeats in the back of my mind. He is definitely my favourite Irish poet, although it would be an injustice not mentioning the fantastic work of Seamus Heaney, James Joyce’s Ulysses and many others blessed by the Irish gift of the gab. Below are just a few of my favourite poems by Yeats, so do enjoy!
Resilience
"Most of all, though, I had once again come to the realisation that I unfortunately need more sleep than the average, healthy person. At this stage so, I must start considering my continuous fights against tiredness and “forgetfulness” about needing a lot of sleep, as a pure character flaw. Perhaps I should also consider this forgetfulness a deliberate act of personal terrorism because who doesn’t like being busy? Who doesn’t like being able to get up in the morning and continue to work and stay awake for the next 12+ hours without falling asleep after 2 hours?"
Volunteering, a worthy cause
"In fact, for anyone interested in volunteering, research shows it can be beneficial in improving mood, self-esteem and quality of life, and in reducing stress, pain and depression. It also shows that ill people who volunteer, become better at managing their own illness in turn and volunteering can strengthen their immune system."
Thank you
No man’s an island, we weave connections through waves of emotions, through faith and happy occasions. This month, I’ve been very lucky to have found waves meeting others, and to have found people with the kindest of hearts, the softest of voices but the strongest of minds. This is for them. Joan, Aoife, Niamh, Karen, Declan, Trevis, Lucina, Miriam, Diana, Natalia, Ava, Ruth My GP, MS nurse, neurologist, ophthalmologist and many others in the two hospitals I attend The many friends back in Belgium and in Ireland, especially Claudia, Dirk, Susie, Jean, Audrey and Gratiane and as always: My mom who never gives up, even in the strongest of seas, every single day. ©Willeke Van Eeckhoutte and Ireland, Multiple Sclerosis & Me, 2011-2014. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without…
