Pace, Love and God Sleep!

I AM GRATEFUL 

Pace, Love and God sleep Maria. From Niall

I visited the community in Cork last week. It felt like coming home. It always does! These days I feel at home almost everywhere I go!

Niall has taken it upon himself to be my 'personal assistant' whenever I'm in Cork.  As well as the usual box of chocolates, baby orange and apple on my bed, this visit there was a hand drawn poster on the bedroom door with a picture of me with a big smiling happy face wishing me 'Pace, Love and God Sleep'.
(Niall has Down's Syndrome and some limits to his vision!)

The visit was very full with people to see and meetings to go to. I moved from place to place following the agenda and all the rest - I left to Niall.  Fresh coffee for breakfast, a packed lunch with the 5 pieces of fruit and veg I need to keep me healthy and plenty of coffee throughout the day. At a Board Meeting which lasted much longer than expected, I got a text "NOW Maria, Cum Home. Yu over werk!" 

Mother Teresa said "Dont look for big things, just do small things with great love... the smaller the thing, the greater must be our love". 

I've been thinking about that since I came back and about the great love declared by Niall on my bedroom door even before I arrived.

I like being wished 'Pace'. Yesterday a friend of mine ended up in hospital to have a pace maker inserted. Niall, in his extraordinary way is my 'Pace Maker' when I forget that my body needs as much attention as my plans. I am grateful.

I like being wished 'Love' and receiving the power of it in something as tiny as a text at the end of a long day.  I often forget to attend to the small things that make 'Love' tangible and give me a sense of real presence rather than performance. I am grateful.

I like being wished 'God sleep' It reminds me that while I sleep the world doesn't stop. I sleep and all the rest I can leave to God. I am grateful.

I like that every conversation with Niall begins with 'NOW Maria' when he and asks me to sit down or else go for a walk with him. Slowing down to listen reminds me to "Cum Home" I am grateful.

I like that there are people in my life who love me enough to put a baby orange on my bed! ! It gives me my big smiling happy face of pace, love and God sleep! I AM GRATEFUL.

We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community.

- Dorothy Day -