The world is your oyster

I come from the land where any crisis was solved with "let's have a nice cup of tea"! when children at the end of a meal would ask "May I leave the table please?" and business was done on a handshake. An old fashioned girl at heart, although I am only 50 years young, I sometimes feel as if I'm from an era that has long passed by where the pace of life was slower and one's family would come together to eat dinner in the evening, and talk and reflect on the day's events. Life seems to be speeding by and although I have slowed down physically, thanks to the symptoms of Parkinson's,  I wish I could slow time down a little too. There is much I still want to achieve, goals and dreams that I hope will come to fruition.

Often having used the phrase "The world is your oyster" I was interested to find this well known saying, is in fact a quote from Shakespeare's "The Merry Wives of Windsor". The original implication of the phrase is where the character "Pistol" is about to use violent means by way of a sword to steal his fortune (the pearl one finds in an oyster). Today we use this phrase without its original violent connotation to mean "the world is ours to enjoy". So despite living with Gaucher and Parkinson's (my two constant unwelcome companions) I will pay heed to Shakespeare's words of wisdom, for the world is my oyster and it is yours too, so enjoy every moment.

This week my article in The Hufington Post is dedicated to a dear friend who lives across the pond. We are all tested in life with difficult times, and when our health is compromised, we realise how fragile and precious life is. When someone you care about is ill, and you live half way across the world, there is little one can do to help, but my thoughts and prayers are constant. Recovery may be a long journey, but staying strong, holding onto your faith and keeping optimistic is the best we can do. I wanted to share with you an amusing tale, of a chance meeting that happened recently, so this became my article for this week's issue of The Huffington Post. Sometimes the strangest co-incidences make you realise the world is a small place.