Thought Picnic: Straws and Ropes

Yearning to survive

It is probably a gift to know what appropriately suits the seasons though it is first of all important to know the seasons and when they change.

Thinking about this scenario one had to find ways to articulate the deep recesses of the mind and one or two analogies materialised.

The time to talk about mountain views is not when one is stuck in the valley, the perspectives are different and the state of the mind is such that all the optimism that can be mustered will not produce the refreshing blast of the mountain breeze.

Even more pertinently, if a man were drowning and clutching at straws for survival, it would seem strange if those on the banks of the river were attempting a rescue by asking the man to clutch at another straw; the man is no state to process that kind of information, no matter how advantageous, however, if those on the bank of the river threw in a rope, that situation will be compelling enough to make the man realise that it is an aid to safety.

Overwhelmed by situations crowding ones space, when you reach out it is unlikely that you have the ability to process ideas, there is a time for talk and there is another time to hug instead, if we make the mistake of not knowing the difference, you’ll be over the edge before the situation is redeemed.

I suppose it all makes sense with boxing, when the man is ready to throw in the towel, that is not the time to talk strategy about winning that match, it is already over and we just waiting for the bell.

Again, it is important for that team to know the difference because disaster looms and if that season is not recognised, that might well be the last boxing match ever.

Now one knows why it is not right for man to be alone because there are times when the ears and the tears need to be shared, just to take you out of the valley, to pull you out of the river, to calm you down in turmoil or to help you handle defeat without being totally defeated.

There is a season, know that season because it is only after you have been helped to survive that you can begin to thrive.

Amilia against all odds

A dearly beloved soul mate

The miracle baby they call her as her parents arrived to collect her from hospital today, but she is to be kept back for a few more days. [1][2]

A kindred spirit with myself when 41 years ago, auspiciously today, my parents also arrived to pick me up, I came in at 26 ½ weeks, she came in at just over 21 weeks, usually not an age at which doctors expect the baby to thrive.

Well, something medicine and people are yet to understand is the fact that the will to live is a highly developed desire and determination to stay alive against all odds.

Fighter indeed she is

Baby Amilia - meaning fighter and hardworker - is a survivor born to upset the apple cart of convention and bring us to rethink any number of issues about the medical survival of the foetus.

With time we have learnt that babies born at progressively decreasing gestation periods down to about 23 weeks have the possibility of thriving, though there is concern about longer term development - in my case, I started walking quite late at over 18 months and then there minor problems with my sight.

We have also learnt that the foetus can feel pain at an earlier age than the 29 weeks that doctors thought possible.

I was expected March the 19^th 1966 at the earliest for a full term baby, I was delivered of my claustrophic recluse on the 21^st of December the year before, she was born on the 24^th of October 2006.

Outlaw abortion over 20 weeks

Another thing is the issue of abortion, whilst I am liberally of the view that this decision should be between the woman, her doctor and her God, conscience or conviction, aborting a foetus at over 20 weeks borders on the sacrilegious.

How is it after carrying the baby for at least 10 weeks and noticing the differences to the body and mind a decision is left in abeyance until well into the fifth month of gestation, just over half the gestation period?

In other affairs of life, it is unlikely that people spend that much time making decisions of medical importance, if an operation is scheduled as critical; you go in and sort it out pronto.

If a pregnancy is inimical to your health and well-being, you get it sorted before the baby begins to develop form, character and poise, especially with the advances in ultrasound.

We, the early ones have rights to live

And so for those unborn who like me arrived a lot earlier than expected, having hardly fitted into the palm of the hand and were more survivors dependent on the will to live and answered prayer than the grudging confidence of medical science; abortion at over 20 weeks might as well be murder, more proof is developing to the fact that this is patently unacceptable.

Baby Amilia, you are welcome and we all born premature but now maturing in strength, wealth, knowledge, wisdom and purpose in life wish you the best of good health, great strength and magnificent success beyond just being the joy of your parents but a worthy contributor to the earth that needs to see more miracles that defy science and popularly accepted opinion.

[1] Miracle baby homecoming delayed

[2] Premature baby to stay for checks

Time to learn to feel our pain - April 2006