When I was a young lad growing up in Ireland, I remember how - always a few weeks after my birthday and a month or so before Christmas - without fail, there would be segments in the local news bulletins about how, across the Atlantic, the good people of the USA were celebrating something called “Thanksgiving” and getting together with their families to eat turkey…🤔🤔🦃🍗🦃🍗
“Around a table eating turkey???.... and it not even Christmas Day??????!”
That was pretty much the way my young, confused brain inside my unfashionable 1980s bowl-shaped haircut head tried to process this strange phenomenon…..
However, little did I know then that I’d be given many unbelievable opportunities to spend many future Thanksgiving Days actually celebrating the great day in the US, where I could learn about and experience first-hand such a beautiful coming together of loved ones to give thanks for the blessings in their lives.
So, I guess I’ve a pretty bittersweet feeling as I sit here typing this from my living room chair today. Thanksgiving is always a perfect day to remind us to appreciate the blessings in our lives.
It hurts me to say that I would have struggled to genuinely think of one, single positive thing about my life if I’d have been asked this question during my recent period of illness….stretching over a much longer period of time than I could ever have foreseen.
However, today I feel marks a change in my thinking, thank God. I’ll not lie – it’s been pretty painful to try and navigate my way through a strange world I found myself in, where I lost all my self respect and self esteem and, with that, any belief in whatever abilities or talents I may have once shown.
I’ve learned that there’s a few major things that have been essential to get myself back towards any sort of feeling of serenity and peace:
(1) Patience to allow my body and mind to heal is a major factor (something that I soon realised I was very much lacking in!!! 😳😉).
(2) The love and support of my family, friends and the dedicated medical professionals who clearly all share one goal – to make me better and bring me back to the man I should be. :I count myself extremely blessed that within that “friends” category, I can count so many people from all corners of the world. … - some I have met, a lot I haven’t, but all seem to share a beautiful sense of kindness, care and genuine hope for me and have shown me nothing but love and support through my dark times. I count on you - you who have been kind enough to stick with me here in the RKFC, and many who may not be in the club but, nonetheless make their feelings clear. Your love and support have been the crutch I’ve relied on so many times and I know it’ll be the crutch I will reach for in the future to come out the other side.
Look guys, I’ve been quiet for a while as I’ve tried to concentrate on my recovery as recommended by my medical team. I know that’s been frustrating and upsetting – none more so than to me, myself.
However, I’ve two major medical operations to look forward to over the next two months (FINALLY!!! ), and I truly believe that successful outcomes from both – please God – will be major stepping stones in my continued recovery.
I hope you can sense my positive feeling from reading this message. I truly believe that I’m finally at a point where I’m strong and confident enough to reintroduce myself back to all of you….and the world!!
I’ll be posting more. I’ll be singing again. I’ll get back round my kitchen table with Frank! In the meantime, as the most sincere and heartfelt way I can say “thank you for your trust, support and not losing your belief in me,” keep an eye in your RKFC inboxes over the next week or so for some new, exclusive recordings of certain personal songs that are very special to me. I pray you’ll like them.
On this special day of Thanksgiving , I feel it’s the perfect day to post this message because I’ve so many of you – my special friends, supporters and fellow lovers of music, bad puns and stupid jokes to give thanks for. We have a special wee team and unique connection that we’ve developed over the past few years.
The waters have been extremely choppy, but I truly believe there is a sense of calm on the horizon….and I give thanks today for being able to recognize it…
God bless and love to you all…
RK ❤️ ❤️
