Catching up with the world after a few days in hibernation: I look at Asha Hope’s blog. My friend and colleague Will Horter, and his partner Claudia Campbell had a little baby girl on Thursday, born 15 weeks premature, and less than 800 grams in weight. The next few months will be a daily trial for little Hope, and her lovely parents. Looking at the photos on the blog of Asha Hope in her sealed incubator, I couldn’t help but imagine how much Claudia and Will must long to hold her. My lover's arms around me, I close my eyes and say a prayer for her.
Then I checked in with the Facebook page of friends Joel Solomon and Shivon Robinsong. On Wednesday of last week, Shivon gave Joel one of her kidney’s (in a hospital, with Doctors looking on) as his were slowly shutting down, the result of a life long disease that has finally caught up with him. Both are well, buoyed by an outpouring of love, as Shivon’s kidney now pumps away inside Joel.
Out of habit, after visiting Asha Hope’s blog and Joel and Shivon’s Facebook page, I clicked on the Globe and Mail site, and as I was doing so I caught myself thinking: “I wonder if there will be any news about Asha Hope?” Then I shook my head at how asinine a thought that was. There is nothing really important in the news. There is never any report on the thousand normal things that make up each and every one of our days and nights: triumph and tragedy, hope and despair, joy and sorrow, pain and bliss. The magic of life, the ecstasy and wonder of every single moment.
The sun sets behind Mount Rundle. The sky is indigo except where stars prick the tapestry of dusk. Its just another day. Another thousand normal, extraordinary, heart wrenchingly beautiful things.
