Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
I FOUND MYSELF in a bit of a slump this week. The stresses and strains of life were getting me down. Someone close suggested I try living in the moment a little, take it as it comes and stop worrying about what may never happen. But how often do we take such sound advice? Especially from those who are nearest and dearest. I nodded and dismissed and went on my worrisome way. And then this happened…
… some simple moments of the day.
The sun came out and the sky was blue.
I walked a slow mile home from school with my three children.
I watched the camaraderie between my oldest two as they discussed such topics as “would the horror movie Chucky really alter your brain if you watched it? Even as an adult?”
I watched as one got entangled in a wayward briar and the other tried to free them, only to get caught up in it themselves. And so it went for a while, with one getting free and the other getting trapped and they laughed gently together – sharing the moment.
I saw the beautiful gift these two have, the gift of sibling love and companionship; not something any parent can give or even orchestrate but oh-so-wonderful when it arrives as a natural course.
And they share it with their younger brother who, today, preferred to fill my pockets with the hazelnuts he found, and fill my ears with his tales of school and the general ramblings of a four year old’s day. And, when I stopped to listen, those rambling words enchanted with their melody.
For that short walk home, time slowed down and I suddenly realised that I was living in the moment, and what a beautiful moment it was.
Moments of nothing in particular and yet full of everything that life requires. Moments that were fuel for the soul and tonic for the heart.
I wondered, as I watched, could others who passed us see what was there? As they drove by in their cars did they get to feel the glow of our moments too? Did it make them stop and live a moment of their own?
Slowly, we moved through our moments with each footfall upon the road until finally we were turning the key in our front door.
I arrived home with a face warm from the September sun and a hand glowing from the touch of a young boy’s hand that reached often and comfortably for mine on that long walk home.
I had always thought that a moment was just that – a small dot in time. From this new viewpoint I understood that a moment could be so much more; moments like these are eternity, for that is how long they stay with you. They can come from the everyday and the ordinary and they can hit you when you least expect them.
Dr Naomi Lavelle is a mum to three junior scientists who are always asking “how”, “why” and “what if”. She blogs at Science Wows where she aims to answer all their questions, one post at a time. She can also be found on Facebook and as @sciencewows on Twitter.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Where are the pro-life brigade? Why don’t they stand at airports with signs and images of rape to protect the victims of sex trafficking? Wouldn’t that be a better use of their energy and time?
@Donnachaín Ní Uallacháin: most of them were a victim already in their own countries and by the way would any of them able to read the signs?
Does the fact that more trafficked people are being identified not mean the system is getting better at finding them?? Or am I missing something?
@Lurfic: no it means that the government pathetic way to stop trafficking by punishing the buyer clearly isn’t working and is driving it further underground making it more dangerous for those involved.
@Nucky: So Nucky is saying we should punish the trafficked.
@Lurfic: No you are not missing anything nor do The IMI ever miss an opportunity to criticise a chance to slag off Ireland nor do they miss a chance to collect the funding we give them.
The ICI are against legalised prostitution which would reduce the number of trafficking so I don’t see why they are saying that more needs to be done. They are a government funded organisation so putting out these statements are routine regardless of statistics.
@Dj: the anti trafficking legislation is woefully inadequate and as part of the ff pd’s programme for government was supposed to be brought in line with what they have in the uk. However, it was never implementedand still haven’t been implemented.
The sex trade being kept illegal and swept under the carpet by an alliance of feminists and the Christian Taliban of course has nothing to do with giving gangsters ever more control of things…
Seems to me the only way to bring this to the surface is to.male it legal and tax it, like certain drugs, sometimes if you stop fighting it by embracing it will sort out a major part of the problem,
@Mick Hannigan: Except that these women – and they are mostly wome- have no right to work here,….they are immigrants- so it is kept underground no matter what legislation we bring in..
@EvieXVI: if you legalised it, the buyers would likely use legal sources meaning there will no longer be profit in trafficking people here for Sex. Help the men and women involved now, yes absolutely. But also concentrate on ensuring no others will be trafficked here for sex in future. And by legalising and taxing it, things will be much more in the open.
@Mick Hannigan: That doesn’t work. When prostitution is legalised the number of people (women and children) skyrockets.
Read up on it. The most effective thing at reducing human trafficking is to make the purchasing and sale of sex illegal, the next most effective is making the purchasing of sex illegal and the sale of sex decriminalised.
Here in Germany prostitution is completely legal, and they have one of the worst problems in the world with human trafficking for sex. There are also many children being trafficked for sex.
@sue: Unfortunately, that’s not what happens. It sounds like it would be a good idea, but it just doesn’t work that way.
Ireland could of been a great safe country, how people of all ages have been brought in here illegal sold on for God knows what. Like our crime our media still doesn’t print the full story. Even when it was happening for years they didn’t. Ireland been a new country only really booming since the Celtic Tiger era . Could of stoped all these issues by looking at other countries when they grew.
@: *have
You can go anywhere in Dublin with a smart phone and get an escort / dodgy massage with trafficked women. Quick search and you are less than 10minutes from finding someone through the millions of classified ads online. A friend was in Spain recently where prostitution is legal and searched on his phone but couldn’t find anything like the same extent here and how much easier it was here.
@James Baxter: Yes, a friend.
The realities of the country we live in :( and the “irish brides”
ah right yeah….’a friend’
Ye don’t hear much about those people held captive, Neath I think it was, twenty odd there was, all their pay was paid into one bank account by a waste disposal company.
Wondering……..me being a retired Nurse, Do the people using these sex workers, women & men….have regular health checkups ??
Only saying. I think they should.
Trafficking is slavery and people found guilty of it should be charged with slavery and kidnapping. They should also be given life sentences, BUT I HAVE A PROBLEM! Feminist groups have convinced the government to give any prostitute who’s been arrested by the guards and CLAIMS that they’ve been trafficked refugee status if they’re here illegally, instead of deporting them as would normally happen. I would be interested to know how many people IF ANY were convicted for trafficking them. What interests me more is why would they want prostitutes who have already applied for asylum to be treated in the same way. Unless for the same reason. If I have any of this wrong . Please reply
@Michael: ^ny misogynistic granda
@Michael: If you have a rebuttal argument make it . If anything I said is untrue SHOW US.
NAME CALLING IS JUST IGNORANCE !
have your say