Heal Nick

GOLFING AT CHRISTMAS LOOKING GOOD!!!! WAY TO GO “OLE GRAMS”

Great Christmas. Made it a “green” as possible and it felt good. Took advantage of some balmy 60 degree weather and had Nicholas hit a few practice balls on the range today. Great for his balance. See the Photo Gallery. And thanks to Carlin, Julia & Felix from dropping by and spending time with a friend. I haven’t seen Nick so animated in a long time.

A good friend sent me the 2008 Dalai Lahma Mantra. Given the season, it’s well worth repeating. Pay special heed to #15.

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements
involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

3. Follow the three R’s:
Respect for self
Respect for others and
Responsibility for all your actions.

4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a
wonderful stroke of luck.

5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great
friendship.

7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate
steps to correct it.

8. Spend some time alone every day.

9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.

10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think
back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.

12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your
life.

13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current
situation. Don’t bring up the past.

14. Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.

15. Be gentle with the earth.

16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.

17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love
for each other exceeds your need for each other.

18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get
it.

19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

I also know that dreams really do come true and you have my Best Wishes and my best efforts in those.

I have posted a couple of pre-Christmas pictures on the Photo Gallery.

It’s always a treat to come back after a week of being away and realizing the progress Nicholas continues to make. Perspective changes and I see little things that are really big that are often missed in the day-to-day events. I think we’re beginning to see some signs of short term memory returning, thanks to the work being done with all the therapists. Using more and more music as a means of initiating communications has had a very positive effect. After I’d been away for a little less than a week, while taking the elevator to speech therapy, Nicholas asked where I was. He’s never done this in the past. Also, one night Lucy retired early and Nicholas took it upon himself to walk into her bedroom to say “good night” before he went to bed. These are both examples of short term memory… remembering I was away and remembering to say “good night”. Given a chance he’s apt to come out with clever comments these days. I went out last night. Before departing I told Nicholas what I was doing and asked him if he was happy. His reply was “Yes, but I’ll be a little less so when you leave.” Good stuff.