An Adventure Story

The other day while trying to make sense of the world, specifically my own, a client was telling me about a charity Christmas party- having lots of toys left over he did not know what to do. His friend suggested he take them to an orphanage where he knows the children are in desperate need of love and toys. On a normal Christmas day he and his wife would run a soup kitchen but decided to visit the orphanage instead. As they arrived 50 wide eyed forgotten orphans dashed to greet them, with only one special teddy bear they asked the "mother" who they should give it to as they didn't want a riot on their hands. She pointed to a room and said "there's a little baby in there who has just been brought in by the police after being found abandoned in a field, I think he needs something to cuddle tonight!"

Shocked and dismayed by the malnourished baby his wife swept the tiny frail body into her arms to hug him and could not let go, a 15 minute deed of goodwill turned into 3 hours, Christmas day turned to a restless night as the abandoned gift of god did not leave their thoughts. When they called the next day to see how he was doing the "mother" suggested they give him a name, St Nic of Santa Claus fame came to mind - So Nicholas it would be.

Nicholas really needed love and help, after visiting the orphanage a couple times they asked if they would be allowed to look after Nicholas at weekends, to take him out on trips and give him the love he so desperately needed. After a few weekends it was getting harder and harder to give Nicholas back on Monday mornings he always became so quiet when they had to say goodbye. The wife asked her husband if they might consider adoption, initially he was against it, because of responsibility, financial ability and fear.

God and Nicholas had chosen them, deep down he knew it was gods miracle and will, they became his parents they had fallen in love with him - so Nicholas went home.

Nicholas is now three years old, causes major feuds as all friends and family stand in line to baby sit as much as they possibly can - He touches the soul and heart of everyone and fills their world with delight

The miracle doesn't end there.....

Nicholas was diagnosed with Autism his parents had taken him to a specialist who diagnosed him in about 30 seconds flat. BS they thought - furiously they researched all they could find about Autism believing Nicholas could overcome this 30 second diagnosis. After all the specialists believed he was not 'off the scale Autistic'. Eventually they came across a society based in the U.S., with a representative in Johannesburg, which does not believe Autism exists, instead they believe it is to do with the internal organs.

After numerous tests they also found Nicholas had leaky gut syndrome and Lymes disease (parasitic infectious disease causing disability which is difficult to treat) To repair leaky gut syndrome Nicholas was prescribed various medication and vitamins which takes half an hour every morning to swallow. Wondering what all these pills taste like his father swallowed a couple and promptly threw up, yet Nicholas swallows them with minimal fuss. To treat advanced lymes disease you use a specialized machine which literally shakes the parasite from your blood cells, this takes 2 hours every night, not easy with a 3 year old.

Nicholas now sits and does puzzles like every other 3 year old. For his parents it's like winning the world cup, as lack of concentration is one of his many "problems."

Nicholas' parents joined a group called the smartie kids and found many people in this land of beauty and splendour finding themselves white parents to a black child in a country that was torn apart by racism, hate and apartheid, that is now been torn apart by politicians drunk on power.

As you'd imagine, the father tells the story much better than I have here, requiring days, not a 1 page brief. It is an adventure story, a miracle, a gift, a story worth telling. Which is my point. At the moment, we all confront incredible uncertainty, even chaos in the world economy, in our own markets, and by extension, in our lives and minds. Everyone's world is topsy turvy, our political leaders continue to allow followers their mindless hate rhetoric and the call to "kill" of their political adversaries - while they run the country like a bunch of drunken pirates. You may be tempted to wish for stability and security and predictability, you may loathe the urgent need to creatively reinvent, to zig, to zag you may resent recent investment losses, a loved one or the turmoil and chaos you think your life has become. All that is natural, understandable and shared; some minutes of most days I too indulge in such thoughts, sometimes for way too long. But if sailing was always smooth and a success status quo could be arrived at, each trip boring, each destination de-valued, there'd be a lot fewer great stories. Ultimately, the living of your own great adventure story is its own achievement, success and reward. Enjoy every triumph as you should.