Unpacking My Bottom Drawer

balding man leaning to the right while sitting in a chair. Fingers clasped on the arm of the chair. Man is in a suit and tie.

Happy birthday, Boss

Happy birthday, Boss. I miss not being able to pick up the phone and talk to you today. It seems strange. You’d have been 99.

2025 Grateful 51: A faith so strong

I have faith. I think it’s a strong faith. But my faith has never really been tested. I may have thought it was, but three

2025 Grateful 52: God time is good time

In God’s house, there are no foreigners, the priest boomed from the altar. I smiled. He’d missed our two, oh-so-white Irish faces in the back

2024 Grateful 1: Api nyu ia

I’m not a great one for affirmations. I recognise their merit, I do. I know that I’m more likely to believe something if I hear

Sign on a stand in the grounds of a hotel reading Marine Wing Support Squadron 33 Annual Ball. Pacific Ballroom.

2024 Grateful 2: The missing [wo]man table

I didn’t get to do much by way of shortening my bucket list this year. Truth be told, I’m thinking of following comedian Ardal O’Hanlon

Black dog with white chest sitting upright between two white pillars on the terrace of a house. Clock on the wall. Trees on either side. Dog is looking straight at the camera

2024 Grateful 3: On those days

Walking through the shopping centre, a kids’ book catches my eye. The title looms large. JIM. Underneath is written: káprázatos karácsonya. In English, Jim’s Spectacular

Crows flying against a blue sky with geese sitting atop a green field - a row of trees on the horizon

2024 Grateful 4: Grounding

I have an aversion to gadgets, to things that will do things for me. Fancy wine openers. Expensive fruit peelers. Electric dough makers. I like

A young boy stands on a sandy beach during a golden hour sunset, tossing a starfish back into the sea. The shoreline is dotted with additional starfish, emphasizing an environmental theme. In the background, the flags of the USA and Afghanistan are raised on flagpoles, gently fluttering in the breeze. The ocean waves are calm, and the warm hues of orange and pink from the sunset reflect on the water and sand, creating a serene and dynamic scene

Making a difference

For much of 2024, I’ve been wallowing. I lost two women who played a huge role in shaping the woman I am: my mum and

Window in a house. At night. Lit up. Decorated for Christnas with the number 1 prominently displayed

2024 Grateful 5: Advent windows

The village has a lovely tradition where 24 houses volunteer to dress their windows during Advent. Each is assigned a date and at 5 pm

Outstretched hand lighting candles in a church

2024 Grateful 6: In memory

Suicide is one of life’s unfathomable mysteries, one you have to go through yourself to fully understand. And then it’s too late. The World Health