My favourite comic book page

I was at a friends describing one of my favourite comic book stories and one of the characters involved has this dialogue that is comic book writing at its finest.

It was a response to his question do you know what page you would like as a poster. Whilst there are many immediately this one was on top of my thoughts.

The boys

Today is World Refugee Day

The question before me is "What would you take?"

Here is the picture:

My parents were asked to leave a country.

They were only allowed one suitcase. They passed 17 check points.

They were locked in massive areas with a sea of other people for long periods without access to facilities.

They boarded the refugee plane. They pleaded with stewardess for water for their parched baby.

We were saved through others coming to get us.

We were saved through others coming to help us.

We are grateful and remember those who are "asked" to leave their countries.

Today is world refugee day.

Thanksgiving

Today I was at a thanksgiving service for someone I did not know yet I felt I knew him. I work with his son. I know little of the father yet here I was amongst family, friends and other giving thanks for a father, husband, brother and friend to the people here.

I found myself welling up with the lovely testimonials and stories of him. All the qualities described were ones that this family had exhibited to me. As a patriarch I felt his character come through.

It was extraordinary how much he came through his children and wife. 

We ended singing a great hymn of "it is well with my soul". Even now I'm humming and hearing the deep voices of the people next to me. It is indeed well with my soul that I have known of "Robbie Gurney". 

More from Syria and a Father's Day Poem

Forwards, posting, hashtagging. All means to share information. Sometimes welcome, sometimes an intrusion.

Sharing can be a wonderful thing. I heard from two people something that touched me. Without being something impersonal to pass on. These were thoughts that were personal and something that captured a moment for them.

So I too will share these moments of some of my friends.

The first is from my friend currently in Beirut, I have shared from her in the past, who had a brief moment which she captured beautifully here:

Allie Chen

Yesterday

Beyrouth, Beirut. just when the heart feels heavy, I am reminded that we humans are and were never meant to walk this journey alone. found myself laughing the other night as I walked along the Corniche in Beirut, arm and arm with two kindred spirits whose souls mine feels as if it has known since another lifetime. there, the sea breeze gave me cause to breathe freely, as the sound of crashing waves in the dark humbled me to remember that the world's capacity for grief is so much bigger than ours, or mine. I find comfort in being so small.

And there we were, the strangest trio strolling by the sea - a beautiful Lebanese man, a blind Palestinian and a Chinese girl smiling at the children running around her as we walked as one... strolling past the families having a midnight picnic on the stone benches, the toddlers throwing glowsticks into the night sky, the young teenagers rollerblading fast by us, the old men fishing in the sea....

We met a coffee peddler with an unexpectedly American accent and an ancient face who said he'd taken the Star Ferry back and forth in Hong Kong years before I'd even been born. as if to remind us we were indeed in Beirut, the most pimped out BMW with a top of the line, blinged-out subwoofer built into the boot blasted Arabic pop music for all to hear. all the while, we searched for the blind Syrian beggar Abu Abed, who had told her about those who take advantage of the vulnerable. I worried that he disappeared back across the border in search of his house that had been destroyed. she said, "habibte inti - do not worry. that burden is not yours to bear". Her wisdom gave me pause. Her faith gave me peace.

Looking out at the neon lights of the city that sparkled and beckoned to us in the distance, for a moment I felt as if we were by Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong. not so much because I was homesick - but because in that moment, I felt at home with those twin souls. "the sea is my weakness", she had said. "and you two are mine", said I. Their love softened a fortnight of feeling suffocated like a caged bird, not least because the Bekaa, one of the places I work in the field was hit by 7 missiles in one day and I had been ordered by security to stay put, admittedly because I have a tendency to disobey such orders. But their peace demanded more of my faith in the promise that God provides, even in the week that the UN estimated 100,000 Syrians killed in this ongoing inhumane carnage.

As my week starts anew, I meditate on my twin soul's faith that His Will will not lead me where His Grace cannot keep me. and pray that I may always be joyful to walk with others, just as two angels have walked with me. — with Christie Pang and 2 others.

The second is a poem on Father's Day from a friend about caring for his Father in his last days:

Giles Abbott

Yesterday near London, England

Strange to watch you Dad, become a stone.
In childhood, you were our rock;
we climbed you, we clambered over you,
we built our home
on you.

Now the wind weathers you,
time, rain and hail hammer you;
you don’t flinch.

Moss grows on you, insects burrow
into the deep-lined cracks of your face.
I enter the room;
you don’t respond.

And my small mother, determined,
hauls you this way, hauls you that way,
rolls you to where the sun can warm you;
you don’t flinch.

and I leave you both,
you, unmoving, but leaving,
and my mother, a tender Sisyphus,
rolling our rock
up the hill.

Through the lens of a 7 year old

Nine shots at granpa's house. 

Taken by a seven year old.

On my way

Tickets confirmed.

1815 arrival for 1915 seating at the Odeon Leicester Square.

Man of Steel premiere here I come.

Feeling utterly blessed. :)

Premiere

Waiting and walking right now.

Walking to a meeting. Waiting for a call. 

The call could be an great light for the UK premiere screening of Man of Steel. 

Pretty excited. Even wearing my superman pants. Not on the outside. Not yet!

Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday Reuben. No more three year olds in this house anymore!

Had a fab day!

Saturday at the local fete

A Joshie dance 

Bubbles 

Time of month

This week I was learning. 

I learnt that girls are not allowed to school because of their time of month. Specifically as they do not have the towels to keep the classrooms clean. Every month, pretty much by clockwork, girls forfeit their classrooms, their teachers, their classmates just because it's "that" time.

I was told that education is number one thing. A young 11 year old flood survivor the other week was telling me how proud he was to start school but a month ago. In a Haitian slum repeatedly a school builder said education is his number one goal.

Still learning... even now... especially now

Best friends

From birth they were friends.

Held hands within a month. Seven years on they still hold each other's hand and stick up for one another.

I love Caleb and Toby's special bond. This past week it was awesome to see them still holding hands and loving every moment of each other's company.

Quite possibly my favourite picture

I returned home the other week with Joshie giving quite possibly my favourite picture. 

It was of his papa, the rock star performing with his rock n roll band... On a nine wheel train (of course). With the family, including Joshie, watching on the right.

He was so looking forward to giving me this picture. Apparently been waiting eagerly for days.

I loved it. Quite possibly one of my fav pics ever.

Joshie and Freya

Friends from birth and completely betrothed. Joshie and Freya "Noono" dance fairy tale style.

Utterly mesmerising on a lovely bank holiday weekend.

 

In the back of the car

Swapped my front seat for a back seat and Joshie asked to take a few shots of us back seat boys.

"I knew he was scared as his arms locked up"

I am surrounded by the nations. Around 170 different nations represented at this UN conference on Disaster Risk Reduction. The theory: "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"

It's a privilege to be here as I have worked through many disasters, particularly in responding and reacting to them. Yet they keep coming and we keep reacting. Its a great time to be here amongst so many others (around 3500 people) to reflect, be inspired and see the call for global action on these matters.

Yesterday I was in a session where children were allowed to speak. They in fact made up the panel for the session.

The room: packed. People standing at the sides just to listen in.

Two girls talked us through the rules (including a form of what I can only describe as child like "jazz hands" to agree with the statements from the front) and introduced children from a host of countries including Lesotho, Japan. At the end an 11 year old disabled boy from Vietnam and his translator were asked to take the microphone.

The boy proudly dressed in a great grey suit with lovely bow tie spoke up and his words were hard to understand both as it was in Vietnamese but also as his disabilities limit his speech. The translator knew both him and every word and intent behind them.

He spoke out about the desire to be in school and the love for education. This is the number one thing. His idea: Protect our schools so we can go to them. Its been his dream to go and he was saved when the flood hit their area. the swept away much. He himself nearly went with the floods were it not for the loving arms of his mother who saved him. She carried him out whilst the waters raged. Amazing.

His mother cried from the crowd with tears of pride and joy, holding her camera as her son shared the call to protect what we have.

He received a standing ovation.

Later on I was able to meet him and the small delegation.

I asked the boy what it was like when the floods were there, how did you feel. He said "I was scared". The mum had grabbed him and pulled him out just carrying him. She wasn't a big lady as she squatted next to me saying and hand gesturing the lifting.

She concluded "I knew he was scared as his arms were locked up as I carried him". She carried him up to the second floor. She was still smiling with pride.

In shock

Caleb managed to find a pair of scissors and took to his hair.

I always have loved long hair. Possibly because I have none.

In shock.

 

Back at the UN Disaster Risk Reduction gathering

One company in New Zealand invested $6m. It saved 65m people.

I was here two years ago and a lady who heads a Japanese company was speaking about the impact of the earthquakes and tsunamis to the 2500 people of the nations (around 190 of them represented here). Today she speaks proudly to encourage the people to engage at local level, to use your core business to look for solutions and learn from new areas and disasters.

Pretty inspiring being here again especially as the attendees of last time are now on the panels calling out for new champions for such areas as disasters.

Boys of Steel

So I'm excited.

I can't wait to see the new up and coming Superman film "Man of Steel".

This trailer is absolutely superb and captures everything I love about the character.




The suit has served this family well too:

80

We celebrated my father in law's 80th birthday today. 

Had a marvellous meal in the Carpenter's Arms near Hadlow.

Amazed at how much time had gone by and also how some who were not at the table as they had passed on.

Time. What a thing. Waits for no one and just keeps going. However as a captain of the Enterprise comments:

"Someone once told me that time was a predator that stalked us all our lives...

... but I rather believe that time is a companion who goes with us on the journey and reminds us to cherish every moment because they'll never come again. 

What we leave behind is not as important as how we've lived. 

After all ... we're only mortal."

Happy 80th Dad.