Post for Recipients of 'Triumph In Adversity' Awards

CONGRATULATIONS!

You have received a 'Do Not Go Gentle - Triumph In Adversity Award'

The award is for people who are (or have been) going through a tough time, who have inspired the nominee with their courage, strength of spirit, and perseverance. I'm afraid there's no ceremony, no glittering trophy, no prize; it's just a graphic, just one person saying to another that they are amazing. Hopefully the person who gave you the link to this page also told you why they specifically wanted you to have it!

'Triumph In Adversity' Awards

As I'm sure many others have done, I have in the past attended funerals or read obituraries online, and heard amazing things about the deceased. I've also too often heard the regret of their family and friends that they didn't tell their loved one those things while they were alive. I don't think we should wait until someone dies before we say how amazing they are!

For a long time I have wished that I could nominate various people for some kind of national hero/bravery/courage award, but many of the people I would want to nominate would not be physically able to attend such awards. There's also the issue that many of my online friends live in different countries and I don't know which awards are given in each country; not to mention that I find it difficult cognitively to fill in those sorts of forms, and I've never heard back from any of the nominations I have done! Whilst writing my recent 'Do Not Go Gentle' post, an idea blossomed in my brain, and this post is the result.

Do Not Go Gentle

Grab the cuppa of your choice and make yourself comfy, this is a long one! But it may also be the most important and passionate thing I've written.

I love Dylan Thomas' poem 'Do Not Go Gentle'. (Click here to go to YouTube to hear the full poem read by the man himself.) I know, I know, it's about death, but actually I think it's about life and how you live it. We all have challenges of one kind or another; do you just resign and submit to the hand you've been dealt? Or do you strive for 'life in all its fullness'? And what does that mean for those who are very severely ill, who are already in a living death?

Another poem I've thought a lot about lately is Invictus:

I Have News! (And, Finally, Some Progress!)

Some of this news is actually 'olds', and I'm really sorry to my family and friends who have been waiting to hear about stuff. It's just taken me a bit of time to get my act together. Also this was meant to be just a quick happy update post but I guess I needed to get a load of stuff off my chest - sorry!

Where to start?