Friday, November 05, 2010

Guy Fawkes!!

5. Memories of Guy Fawkes parties in Cape Town when my children were small. Memories of friends, the sounds, the scenes, the smell of fireworks and sausages on the braai.... I am so thankful for the tapestry of colours in my mind. Memories.

That is a little long-winded, but I am suddenly so aware of how precious all those memories are. And they form the most amazing tapestry of colours in my mind. I am reading Max Lucado's latest book. Outlive your Life. He talks about how we have this one unique opportunity to live our lives, be something special. Change the world, one small step at at time. It is good. I am actually making notes as I read, and that is quite unusual for me.

Listen to this ...." Life is racing by, and if we aren't careful, you and I will look up and our shot at it will have passed us by. Some people don't bother with such thoughts. They grind through their days without lifting their eyes to look. They live and die and never ask why."

This was from the beginning of the book. It goes on, but it is best you read it for yourself. I don't want to be someone who never looks up. Never savours the moments, cherishes the memories. Build a life with purpose. Every little thing matters.

He goes on to illustrate over and over, how one person can make massive differences to the world, and he reminds us that we are all capable of this. He says that God doesn't choose the qualified. He qualifies the chosen. Amazingly simple, isn't it.

We get to star in our own lives, you see. We need to grab the opportunity.

The fact that I have had very little sleep may just be starting to show, so I will stop for now and go and have a nap.

Happy Guy Fawkes, everyone!

PS. According to the news, we need to follow a new Health and Safety Advisory for Guy Fawkes Night, and WEAR GLOVES WHILE HOLDING A SPARKLER TO AVOID INJURY. And have a bucket of water so all dead sparklers can be immersed in it. Oh good grief. 56 years of safe sparkler manipulation, and now I am supposed to WEAR GLOVES???? How on earth have we managed all these years?

4 comments:

Needled Mom said...

Chuckle, chuckle, chuckle!! One would think they know how to handle sparklers after 56 years and STILL surviving!!! Seems like they have to tell us everything these days.

I remember when we lived in England the children had their "Guy" dolls and begged for "Penny for the Guy" on the streets.

Happy Guy Fawkes Day!!

Anonymous said...

When I was a child we always wore gloves and had a bucket of water or a plant pot to put the sparklers in afterwards. To be honest its not adults and sparkers that I am worried about, it is just common sense when you have children.

Hungry Hiooi

Fran Hill said...

And what happens if the gloves catch fire? How do you take them off?

Dawn said...

I don't know who or what Guy Fawkes is/was?? Guess I should Google it/he/she.