Tag: writing

Living Life

The webs of life can seem like and invisible trap we don’t want to feel caught in – but rain, and taking the time to pause, look and take stock can help us find the beauty.

I wrote last summer about the challenge I was experiencing, along with my brother, of supporting our elderly mother who was finding life very hard and was coping less and less well. Last autumn we had it confirmed that she had dementia and, as it had a vascular element as well as Altzeimers, her decline was no longer gentle but sometimes in quite dramatic steps.

We moved her into a lovely care home in December last year – she was safe and being looked after but it wasn’t easy as she didn’t have the capacity to adapt. For me, having already realised my brother, who was closer at hand, needed to take the lead role as her carer, it was also time to adapt and I struggled.

In a way it was good that for some time I was not able to have the daily contact with her I was used to, because it made me realise I needed to let go of the emotional responsibility for taking care of her, which I had been doing for years. I found I disliked some of my feelings and motivations – my weak points were showing and I didn’t like it, but I knew they were just as much a part of me as the bits I like, and I needed to accept them to move on.

Thankfully her decline was not long and drawn out, and she died peacefully in July. We were glad – she had had a long, good and full life; as a Christian she had no fear of death, and hanging on in that situation was not something she wanted – or we wanted for her.

There have been of course, plenty of things to get on with since she died and I have thrown myself in fully. It wasn’t until I had a holiday in September and was forced (by torrential rain) to stop ‘doing’ and just relax, that I became aware of just how tired I was, and the extent to which I had not been taking my own advice. I needed to allow myself the time and space to change and embrace who I am, and who I chose to be.  It was just what I needed.

I found this poem, or pondering, which I started earlier May 2024, and it still strikes a chord. It speaks of an approach to life I clearly realised I needed at the time I started writing it… and I still need and am still learning now.

Don’t shy from the present,  
Nor cling to it, to stop change;
Don’t fear the truths it reveals,
Just be in it, stay in it,
Experience the moment.

Don’t live life in the past;
Remember it’s joys and smiles,
Live its positive lessons,
Then let it be, let it go.
The past is not where life is.

Don’t live in the future,
In your choices think of it,
Conjure its opportunities
In your mind, then let it be.
The future is not yet formed.

Live in this moment now,
Savour its joys and pleasures,
Weather its challenges and pain.
Right now is all you need bear,
This too will pass, and be past.

Know that all life is change,
Embrace it, don’t shy from it.
Live only in this moment.
Being present here, and now,
Move with life as it moves on.

Experience it … and enjoy!

© Share D’All
October 2025

Encroaching darkness

Looking at the future sometimes it feels like there is nothing but dark clouds …

Living in the times that we do, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the immense challenges, conflict, and downright craziness that we seem to be experiencing across the world. It’s easy to want to turn it all off, batten down the hatches and just try to pretend it isn’t happening.

This is not to mention of course that on top of these worldwide problems, or maybe because of them, there are many people struggling with much more immediate and personal challenges, which could, by themselves, reduce us to a feeling of just needing to trudge on day to day, doing our best to just get through.

Sometimes wherever you look it feels like there is an encroaching darkness that we seem powerless to confront, and it can inspire in us a primeval fear that can eat away at hope and optimism.

Yet, as I was reflecting on this the other day it struck me that darkness is an opportunity for light to shine. I once again was reminded that without darkness we would not even notice light existed so, looked at through the right lens, darkness is an opportunity.

We live in a world full of opportunity, and wow, do we need the light to shine.

I think in this situation, as in most others if truth be told, light is synonymous with love, which in itself is synonymous with wisdom and courage.

I am sure, in fact every now and then you hear and see it (even amidst the devastation in Gaza), there are those in every situation who have light and are shining it. In fact I think that in reality most of us have light, but as is often the case, because we may feel we only hold a little of it we don’t realise its power.

We’ve become intimidated by the fact that those we see as having power are those who are seeding darkness – yet in fact they are few compared to us, it’s just that we have allowed them to become raised up.

I am sure there are those who have light in Hamas, I am sure there are those who have light in Russia, I am sure there are those who have light in the leadership of Israe. I am sure in every country across the world there are those who have light; sufficient even so that if we start to admire the light, rather than fear the darkness, there are enough to help us reduce and manage the potentially terrible impacts of climate change on our world.

There are many who are lost in the fear and darkness and who, at the moment, can only see and feel anger, loss and hatred – they need light and love as much, if not more than anyone. So shine on, wherever you are.

There are many of us too who have enough wisdom to know we need to hang on, but too often rather than letting the light guide our way, we are grasping at the straws of our current and previous existences. We need to take the courage to let go and follow the light to the raft or boat that is within reaching distance, if we would just recognise it for what it is.  Life changes and we need to too.

This is not a call for revolution, or even radical change, it is me shining a light on the opportunity that exists. Look for the light rather than the darkness, then shine with it and eventually the darkness will become merely a shadow behind us.