Close Family and Genuine Friendships Rule Forever.

Think back about the last time something of significance happened in your life, and you will probably remember where you were exactly at that moment of time. For example, I can recall exactly where I was when the late journalist Veronica Guerin was murdered. Same for the late Princess Diana when she was killed in that terrible crash in Paris. 

Roll on to just a few weeks ago, a morning I will never forget where I was. 

Sitting up in my hospital bed, 5 days after collapsing at home. The curtain is pulled half way around my bed and the Professor who had test results broke the news directly to me. I do appreciate how these medical minds can and indeed have to work. BUT, would it have been rocket science to have some foresight and have perhaps my wife and close family close pre this type of news delivery?

Minutes after the news, in what can only be described as a modest show of empathy, my knee is squeezed thru the bedclothes and the professor leaves me on my own. I'm a big guy, 6ft 4, but I couldn't stop the tears streaming down my face. I don't panic (I never did panic). Minutes later and above the call of duty, it took a young student nurse to come back to my bed and tell me "Aidan, you should never have been told like that" and then offered to stay with me and offer whatever she could do to help there and then. This student nurse was and is a real carer. All the qualifications the learned Professor has and this young lady poseses a quality this man will never have. 

Within what seems like just minutes, Alison my wife and her sister appear out of nowhere. The rest of the mafia closely follow (I have always called my in laws by this so why stop now eh ?). 

By pure coincidence and knowing nothing about what was going on, a good and very close friend and confidante of mine appeared at my bedside on what was to be a casual hospital visit to me. I met Andrew over 10 years ago, he unwittingly had chosen the short straw to teach me (and my monocular vision) the art and skill involved in flying helicopters. Over the course of this intense rotary training and subsequent qualifications followed by me reciprocating the helicopter flight deck with the open cockpit of hot air ballooning, a unique freindship was formed. Andrew just always seemed to be with me when I was somehow involved with trying to knock an obstacle out of the way,  from a helicopter training issue, to facing up to and obliterating challenges that were faced in flying Santa into Aoife's school by Helicopter every year for the past number of years and other challenges that were faced which in all sincerity we couldn't divulge here, all good mind you. 

Here was my friend again, unplanned, totally uncoordinated and appears at my bedside and this time I'm in a spot of bother too. 24 hours later he reappeared and was holding an alter tablecloth that Padre Pio used to say daily mass for his own late mother, I think I just made my point. 

I'm just astounded at the level of family support that's out there.

My dear wife and her family, my in laws are just phenomenal. 

When you marry your partner, it can always be a toss up on how well you get on with their family. Remember, it's there son, daughter, brother or sister you like, know, love, you only get to meet them further on down the line. Having a good relationship with your inlaws is always, always a bonus. I won the lotto twice with my pick. First time was with Alison, the 2nd with her family. Beautiful people, helping our little family every step of the way and then some. In my opinion, when it comes to Family solidarity, the Ryan's of Navan wrote the definition. 

People have said to me over the past few weeks, recanting from their own experience, "Aidan, are you surprised at how friends and colleagues took the news". Digging deeper and asking what exactly they meant, they open up some more and tell me, the friend they had perceived as perhaps not that close, just happened to be the one that didn't say 'call me if you need anything' but turned up uninvited on their doorstep, hands full with tomorrow's dinner, tonight's desert, or just simply and just as important if not more so, a big friendly hug and a kiss and there for you, right now. What I'm hearing here does indeed resonate with me and if you think back to your own diary of events, will perhaps strike a chord with you also. 

To my embarrassment, when news of this health scare went out, I've had friends in the UK jump on planes and fly in from both Wendover and Sommerset and then just appear in my bedroom in Dunshaughlin. Friends in the US that didn't ask but just told me they are sponsoring the morphing of my logo for AidanMurphy.com into a beautiful lapel pin. The latter being generously sponsored by my friends and fellow Hot Air Balloonists Mick, Karen and Tom Murphy (no relation) of Aer Blarney Balloons based in Bethlehem, Connecticut, USA. Then there's the Bouquet of flowers left at our front door for Alison and Aoife to come home to after visiting me in hospital one day. I could go on writing this particular paragraph and never stop. 

So now you can see, having the support of close family and beautiful friends is very important to me. It's that extra piece of the jigsaw that I need and it's smothered in magic. The magic that only friends and family can offer and give and that same magic that does wonders and touches places that nothing else can reach for me. 

As always, thank you so much for reading this. 

I'm dedicating this particular blog to your family or friend that is going thru a similar situation to mine right now. 

Chin up, bust through the bad days, it'll focus you to look forward to the good days and there will be lots of them. 

Oh, and look after those friends you have, because they are just MAGIC !