The tree of life....

We are but twigs on the tree of life..many thousands of twigs on many different tree’s. Tree’s grow and many of them flower and from those flowers come new tree’s. But no tree is perfect and so on occasion a flower will become deformed or sick.
We, you and I are like those flowers. We are healthy and with that health comes hope, aspirations and the longing for a long life. But our health does not stay with us and so on occasion ( like a flower) we become sick.
It is a sickness that we do not ask for. For some of us it is a short illness but for many may last beyond the point of reasoning. ALS/MND is if you like the secateurs to rid us of this illness. The flower may be disposed of but the twig remains, hanging onto what ever little flow of life may be in its system.
But, eventually, like the flower the twig is deprived of its life giving substance and is cut off.
If only we could halt the transformation of a healthy body into one containing the illness called Motor Neurone Disease but we do not have that ability to do so. It affects us in so many ways. To the average person we look (in the early stages) perfectly normal but that normality does not stay with us. With some of us it is the walking (like me) that is first noticeable . Then there is the cramping and twitching of various parts of the body, the speech and the eating of food.
Everyday life becomes more difficult and with it comes the frustrations and the anger, the tears and the laughter that goes with ALS/MND. It is a time of learning for all concerned. For the individual with the illness it is a case of having to change ones way of life but for family members may be a time to realize that what goes round comes round. ‘There but for the grace of God go I.’ Quality of life becomes important…
It is the little things that we notice first, the odd fall, the inability to climb a step or steps. Holding onto a knife or fork or trying to wrap ones hand round a cup. So many things that we take for granted. Just the simple act of getting into a car, blowing ones nose or even buttering a piece of bread. Brushing ones hair or cleaning your teeth . Even just turning over in bed. All of these actions affect our life more than most people realize and as our bodies progress down and into the trunk of the tree of life it becomes a time of reflection , a time to look back at how many flowers on our tree have wilted and become diseased but to realize also that new flowers will replace those that have gone.
Flowers that will become in time stronger and disease resistant. And it is that hope that so many off us long for. To be normal is not asking for much but to you and I what is normal any more. I will continue on this path that I have been put on but I will knock down for as long as I can everything that gets in my way.
My tree of life will and has reproduced ( I have grandchildren) and it is my hope for them that any flowers that grow from this union will be healthy and have a life free from the restrictions of ALS/MND….
If a tree is watered, loved and nurtured it will last many years, twigs and all…………

The other structure to look out for is an independent upright support, to help strengthen and keep our tree’s strong and firmly attached to their life giving ground. We need that support to stop us from falling over and damaging our branches and twigs. My support is my family and the many people out there who will push upright and tie back the numerous twigs making up my tree of life……
Watered, Loved and Nurtured…that’s all we need……to keep our tree’s growing….