Tony Demand's The Right To Die !!

Tony suffered a stroke in 2005
whilst on a business trip to Athens

"No deep and strong feeling, such
as we may come across here and there
in the world, is unmixed with compassion. The
more we love, the more the object of
our love seems to us to be a victim."

Tony Nicklinson isn't terminally ill, he is in terminal despair. Since he suffered a massive stroke six years ago he has been paralyzed.

The only movement he can control is in his eyes and his blinking. His unimpaired brain - his conscious self - is locked inside a body beyond his command.

Tony wants from life one thing above all else - the right to die. To be more precise he is fighting for the right to be lawfully killed.

I went to see Tony and his wife Jane in their immaculately maintained home in rural Wiltshire.

Tony cannot speak. He "talks" to Jane by way of a letter board which she holds in front of his face. He uses eye movement and blinks to select letters which she spells out into words.

'Soul destroying'

The Nicklinsons want the world to see what has happened to Tony. They want every one of us to know what it means to be "locked-in".

And they want to provoke a debate based on a simple question - just as an able-bodied person can choose to take their own life doesn't a paralysed person of sound mind have a right to die?

Interviewing Tony by way of Jane's letter board was a practical impossibility. Too slow, too stressful for them both.But Tony has a computer which he can control with movements of his eye. He was able to respond to my questions with words which were electronically voiced.

I asked him why he was so determined to win the right to be killed. The metallic, inflection-less response from the machine exacerbated Tony's obvious despair. 

''I can only see the future being worse. It is soul destroying - being fed like a baby, I can do nothing for myself. I have nothing but this for the rest of my life - is it any wonder I'm not exactly enthusiastic about living?

"If I had the comfort of knowing suicide was an option when life got too much, I might not want to die, who knows? But not having a Plan B causes anguish the pro-life campaigners could not possibly understand."

Tony's ambition goes far beyond modification of the laws on "assisted suicide", he wants another human being to have the right to give him a lethal injection.

 

Special circumstances

 

He is ready to go through the courts on a mission to redefine murder to take account of mercy.

The Nicklinsons already have lawyers working on their case and they have detailed proposals - a lawful killing would be based on informed consent subject to judicial review, there would be rigorous background checks and a lengthy "cooling off" period. 

This form of euthanasia would be possible, they say, in only the most special of circumstances.

Jane Nicklinson has had to live with her husband's paralysis and his despair for six years. She's a former nurse and she handles the role of full-time carer with immense patience and stoicism.

Inside the Nicklinson home the bonds of care and love built up over 25 years of marriage remain unbroken. But they're not enough. Not enough to overcome the sense of despair.

 Jane was asked a series of deeply personal and difficult questions. Not about Tony and his needs, but about her. She answered them all unflinchingly - but with anguish in her voice and her eyes. And all the while her husband was next to her, listening. 

"I don't want him to die but I see what he's like and what his life is… so maybe yes, OK, I do want him to die. Not at the moment but the time will come when he's had enough and yes, if that is what he wants, then fine."

Jane was asked if the law allowed it would she be prepared to be the one to end his life?

"Yes, I think I would be prepared, but Tony wouldn't want me to. He'd like me to give him a sedative and someone else do the lethal injection." 

The Nicklinsons are engaged in a battle they are unlikely to win. Ranged against them are the combined forces of the legal, medical and religious establishments.

For the moment Tony has only two possible options if he wants to exercise his choice to die - he can starve himself to death, or make an expensive journey to Switzerland, where the Dignitas clinic could probably engineer an "assisted suicide". 

But neither appeals to Tony. He wants to die with dignity, at home and he won't give up.

"All the letter writing and the campaigning… you quite enjoy it, don't you?" Jane asked Tony before I left them.

His head was slumped at an awkward angle in his chair, but in his eyes there was a smile. There was life.!!

His Name Is Bruno :)

Baby Bruno

A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself.  ~Josh Billings

True!!! You will agree to it as you meet my Bruno :)

The Baby
 It was 2002, when I first met him. I was gifted with a tiny , rich black ,  very shiny smooth puppy. I still remember the month. It was September midst. I took him in my hands and found his eyes were still closed as its just two days passed from his birthday :) He was very very tiny and so soft. I took him home and found a better place for the new born softy. My mom helped me in making a very protective shelter for him. A box filled with woolen cloths and warm materials. I placed him inside and did not take my eyes from him. The entire day was spent with him and then came the best part. The night , to say him good night and kiss him. I did say good bye n Kissed him. I went to my bed. But by 3 AM,  I heard him crying. It was such a lovely and adorable cry. I still remember the sweetness of the sound. I ran to his place and saw him trying to jump out of the box. Was he scared?? Was he feeling strange?? No idea..

Sleeping Baby Bruno

 I took him very close to me, kissed him and walked to my bed. I placed him next to me and he slept very well throughout the night feeling the warmth of my bed and the bed sheet.We both slept very well. It was like a mother s love and he was of-course a baby, just two days over from his birth. Days passed with him fully enjoying the pampering by me, my mom and my sister. We feed him using a feeding bottle:). Our maid then was good in handling him while  using the feeding bottle. He was calm and enjoying his food. I was doing my schooling so daytime at school and evening with him. Days passed . His eyes were still closed. We wanted to call him by name but I thought let me see the color of his eyes. Only after seeing his eyes color I will give him a name. To my surprise, within another couple of days he opened his eyes and they were beautiful, bright, brown eyes. I was sooo happy to see his eyes. I got a name at the top of my head " BRUNO". Yes! He is Bruno. He was the only male companion in our home for my dad. He runs very fast and at time falls down or hit somewhere due to over speed.

Lovely days
 
He was sweet. We all loved him. So much. Days, weeks, months & of-course years passed just like that. I was then supposed to leave my hometown to proceed with my UG course. My sister was in a different place doing her UG. Our parents were in gulf. We fly to gulf on vacations. Our hero, Bruno was taken care by our maid at her home. Her kids were lovely to Bruno. He was safe. Whenever I come home, I go to see Bruno. I get him his favorite cookies and milk. I will be hiding and call him aloud. Brunooooooo.. He will find me irrespective of the distance and direction. He will run to me and hug me, lick me all  over my face and of-course I can see tears in his eyes. After spending some time with him I start back to my college. Years passed as usual. He was thin actually but in safe hands. That was all that what we wanted. After certain period of time and completion of my course we came back to our home town and took him to our home forever. I still remember, I took an auto rickshaw to take him back to home . On seeing the auto, Bruno ran and got inside. He found that he is no more gonna in that house. He is on his way to his own house.

Bruno Just Like that :)

 Home Sweet Home

He jumped out of the auto seeing our house and got hurt too. We applied medicine and took him inside. He had a very nice shower. I am the one who help him take bath. The best part is when I help him to bath he remain as a very good boy. Yes, it will be so cool and shivering but he knows very well that at the end I am gonna wrap him in a big towel n take him to terrace to dry him and be with him through out. Bruno is very active after every shower. He gets extra speed. He was a good watcher. He barks too loud and no stranger would dare to step in just like that. He was our guard.

It was almost 8 years since Bruno came to our family. Its was by 2009 Dec I got a job and settled at my hometown. Now, Bruno got someone to really really love so much and pamper him all the time. Our Dad!. Our dad loved Bruno a lot . Gets him cookies, meat, soft bun, and lot more.Bruno started to avoid rice and ended up with idlies, chapatis and bread. Ha ha .. But he was never left hunger. My mom makes sure that his food is always ready. In the mean time my sister Jennie, stared to get more closer with him. She takes him for walk and spend enough time with him. To make it in a nut shell he got each n every one of ours love. No one hated him or left him alone. 

Bruno sleeping

 It was soon 2010 and Bruno was as active as he was. We never restricted him. He can go anywhere in our home and find his comfortable place to sleep. We don't disturb him at all when he is sleepy. The very lovely part is on hearing my dad s bike sound Bruno will jump n run to the gate to greet my dad. So so lovely kid. When my friends and dear ones come home he will feel strange at the first time but once he see them the second time, he is very comfortable and happy actually.

Days fly and its 2011 now. It was all good and everything was perfect by the grace of our Lord. My sister moved to Chennai finding a job of her interest. Me, mom and dad along with my grand ma stayed in our hometown. Bruno was the one and only entertainer for us. He makes us laugh. He makes us forget our work stress. Specially the people who cherished were our parents. Whenever I go down for dinner or for a get together, Bruno walks to me, place his head over my lap and moves his tail with so much of love and I can see that in his beautiful face too. I sit for hours rubbing his face and head. He loves it. He is such a lovely kid. We all loved him.
 
Miss Him

It was the month of August, 2011. Bruno was waiting to celebrate his 10th birthday in another one month. We saw some changes in him. He was dull and not having is food at the right time. We gave him medicines that were prescribed by a doctor earlier. It was for worms. It worked actually. But, in another couple of days he got sick again. It was August 29, 8.30 PM. I could not see anymore my Bruno suffering so much in pain. So me and my dad took him to doctor. To our bad luck we went to six to 7 places but all doors were closed. My Bruno got sick and exhausted. I cried cried and cried. Took him back to home. I wrapped him a cloth and kept him warm.

Next day August 30, 2011[ie.today] morning it was scheduled to take him to a doctor by 8 AM. Me and dad hurried. I went near my Bruno and saw him in his worst situation. He could not stand, even lift his eyes and see my face. I cried and promised him saying" Bruno, dnt worry. I am here for you". I ran to my room. It was upstairs. Almost 15 steps. I got dressed and opened the door. This will be the most unbelievable moment I expected. My Bruno had climbed all these steps with the pain of death to see me. He was lying in-front of my room struggling to breath. He wanted to be with me at that point of time, and he came so far for me. I was so shocked. I sat next to him and cried. "my dear Bruno, You came for me????".. With so much of pain???".. He is the BEST... I dnt say him Dog.. my best best best friend. My Bruno. Me and dad hurried to the hospital It was 8.15 AM . On the way Bruno started to breath very strangely. I was scared. I asked my dad to stop the car and check Bruno. My dad s eyes were filled and he told me" Annie, dnt worry. I will go fast", We reached the hospital. It was 8.30AM...

Bruno was lying in the back seat of our car, with his head resting on my lap. He stared to breath more strangely and there was a big gap between each breath. The fourth time he breathed and I could not hear the fifth. WHAT HAPPENED?? I saw his face. His mouth was open and he was motion less. I screamed appaaaa.. My dad came n the doctor said "he is DEAD"..I was filled with all kind of emotions.. I wanted to shout I wanted to do somethingg... My dad was upset and tried to console me. They took my Bruno.. I did not give him at first. I fell over him, hugged him and kissed him many times... [ Unable to write...I loved him so much]..I kissed him and my dad took me away. They took my Bruno from me.. He was gone for ever!!!!!! I miss him and Bruno I love you so much Bruno.. There are no good-byes for my Bruno who has died today!!!

 Bruno, I found a poem for you..

My best friend closed his eyes today,
As his head was in my hand.
The Doctors said he was in pain,
And it was hard for him to stand.

The thoughts that scurried through my head,
As I cradled him in my arms.
Were of his younger, puppy years,
And OH...his many charms.

Today, there was no gentle nudge,
With an intense "I love you gaze",
Only a heart that’s filled with tears
Remembering our joy filled days.

But an Angel just appeared to me,
And he said,
"You should cry no more,
GOD also loves our canine friends,
He's installed a 'doggy-door"!

LOVE YOU SO MUCH BRUNO!!

Motivate Yourself :) :)

People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents.

If you want to excel in life, self motivation is essential. You must know how to motivate yourself. You must be able to keep your spirit high no matter how discouraging a situation is. That’s the only way to get the power you need to overcome difficulties.

Those who are discouraged in difficult times are certain to lose even before the battle is over.

 
Here are several tips I’ve found to be effective to build self motivation:

1. Have a cause

I can’t think of a more powerful source of motivation than a cause you care about. Such cause can inspire you to give your best even in the face of difficulties. It can make you do the seemingly impossible things.

While other causes could inspire you temporarily, a cause that matters to you can inspire you indefinitely. It’s a spring of motivation that will never dry. 

Whenever you think that you run out of motivation,  you can always come to your cause to get a fresh dose of motivation.

2. Have a dream. A big dream.

Your cause is a powerful source of motivation but it’s still abstract in nature. You need to make it concrete in the form of a dream. Imagine how the world will be in the future. Imagine how people will live and work.

Having a dream is important because it’s difficult to be motivated if you don’t have anything to shoot for. Just think about people who play basketball. Will they be motivated to play if there is no basket to aim at? I don’t think so. They need a goal. You need a goal. That’s what your dream is for.

But just having a dream is insufficient. Your dream must be big enough to inspire you. It must be realistic but challenging. It must stretch your ability beyond your comfort zone.

3. Run your own race

Comparing yourself with others is an effective way to demotivate yourself. Even if you start with enthusiasm, you will soon lose your energy when you compare yourself with others.

Don’t let that happen to you. You have your own race so how other people perform is irrelevant. Comparing yourself with others is like comparing the performance of a swimmer with a runner using the same time standard. They are different so how can you compare one with the other?

The only competitor you have is yourself. The only one you need to beat is you. Have you become the best you can be?

4. Take one more step :)

When you meet obstacles along the way, there could be the tendency to quit. You may think that it’s too difficult to move on. You may think that your dream is impossible to achieve. But this is where you can see the difference between winners and losers. Though both of them face the same difficulties, there is one thing that makes the winners different: the courage to continue.

In difficult situations, just focus on taking one more step forward. Don’t think about how to complete the race. Don’t think about how many more obstacles are waiting for you. Just focus on taking the next step.

5. Let go of the past

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Believe it or not, one of the best demotivators is your past. Your past can drag you down before you realize it. Your past can give you a heavy burden on your shoulders.

The good news is it’s a burden you don’t have to carry. Take it off your shoulder and leave it. You might make mistakes in the past. You might disappoint others with what you did. But it’s over. It’s already in the past and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Today is a new day and you have the chance to start again. No matter how bad your past might be, you still have a bright future ahead waiting for you. Just don’t let the burden of the past stop you.

***Good Luck***

Cast Away

I recently happened to watch this movie. I was totally inspired. I would like to share my trip with the picture..

Cast Away is a 2000 American drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks as a FedEx employee stranded on an uninhabited island after his plane crashes in the South Pacific. The film depicts his successful attempts to survive on the island using remnants of his plane's cargo, as well as his eventual escape and return to society. Hanks was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role at the 73rd Academy Awards for his critically acclaimed performance.

Cast

• Tom Hanks as Chuck Noland
• Helen Hunt as Kelly Frears
• Wilson the volleyball

Summary

In 1995, Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) is a time-obsessed systems analyst is in a long-term relationship with Kelly Frears (Helen Hunt), with whom he lives in Memphis, Tennessee.Chuck was actually going to propose to Kelly on New Year's Eve, having given her the ring box as a Christmas present with instructions to not open it until he returned home from his trip.Flying through a violent storm, his plane crashes into the Pacific Ocean. Chuck is able to escape the sinking plane and is saved by an inflatable raft.

After he awakens, he explores the island and soon discovers that it is uninhabited.He initially tries to signal for rescue and makes an escape attempt with the remnants of his raft, but he cannot pass the powerful waves. He searches for food, water, shelter and opens the packages, finding a number of potentially useful items.

Four years later, Chuck is dramatically thinner, bearded, his hair is longer and he is wearing a loincloth. He has become adept at spearing fish and making fires. He also has regular conversations and arguments with Wilson [Wilson the volleyball serves as Chuck Noland's personified friend and only companion during the four years that Noland spends alone on a deserted island. This was the inspiration for the film's inanimate companion. From a theatrical view, Wilson also serves to realistically imply dialogue in a one-person-only situation.]

After spending some time building and stocking the raft and deciding when the weather conditions will be optimal, he launches, using the sail to overcome the powerful surf.The following day, Wilson falls from the raft and is lost, leaving Chuck overwhelmed by grief and loss. Later, he is found drifting by a passing cargo ship.

Upon returning to civilization, Chuck learns that he has long been given up for dead; his family and friends held a funeral, and Kelly has since married and has a daughter. After reuniting with Kelly, the pair profess their love for each other but, realizing a future together would be impossible due to her commitment to her family, they part. Kelly gives Chuck the keys to the car they had once shared.

Chuck then travels out into the country to return the unopened FedEx package to its sender. A new Wilson volleyball sits in the front seat next to him. The house at the address is empty, so he leaves the package at the door with a note saying; "This package saved my life. Thank you, Chuck Noland." He then departs and stops at a remote crossroads. A woman passing by in a pickup truck stops to explain where each road leads. As she drives away, Chuck notices an illustration on the back of her pickup truck that is similar to the one on the parcel, revealing that she is the owner of the package. Chuck is left looking down each road, but then he smiles while looking after the departing woman in the truck.

The End

PRAYER BEFORE STARTING WORK

PRAYER BEFORE STARTING WORK

My Heavenly Father, as I enter this work place, I bring Your presence with me. I speak Your peace, Your grace, Your mercy, and Your perfect order into this office. I acknowledge Your power over all that will be spoken, thought, decided, and done within these walls. Lord, I thank You for the gifts You have blessed me with. I commit to using them responsibly in Your honor. Give me a fresh supply of strength to do my job. Anoint my projects, ideas, and energy, so that even my smallest accomplishment may bring You glory. Lord, when I am confused, guide me. When I am weary,energize me. When I am burned out, infuse me with the light of the Holy Spirit. May the work that I do and the way I do it bring faith, joy, and a smile to all that I come in contact with today. And oh Lord, when I leave this place, give me traveling mercy. Bless my family and home to be in order as I left it. Lord, I thank you for everything You've done,everything You're doing, and everything You're going to do. I pray, with much love and Thanksgiving -Amen!!!

Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

I.O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you." Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of......(here name your request)
Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.


II.O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you." Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of.......(here name your request)Our Father...Hail Mary....Glory Be To the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

III. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away." Encouraged by your infallible words I now ask for the grace of.....(here name your request)Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father...Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

OSacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.
Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.
- Amen