Eric Roche - With These Hands

I'm not an insomniac but I do listen to late night radio, RTÉ Radio 1, Ireland  in particular I always really enjoy because of the story telling that the Irish are so good at.

Last night I learned about Eric Roche. His brother Bryan was featured in this documentary who told his older brother Eric's story, entitled With These Hands his life as a musician, and mostly it was a touching tribute and testament to the deep love between brothers. It is also the beautiful story of learning how to live and how to die. I identified so much with Eric's younger brother Bryan and what he shared about his big brother Eric because I also lost my big brother, who taught me so much about life.

Today I listened to some Eric Roche's youtube videos and was blown away by his talent and interpretations of so many songs. If you haven't heard of him or his music, check him out. The guy was a beautiful soul and  freakin' amazing virtuoso talent!


 

Sand, Sea, and Smugglers - RTÉ Radio 1 - Nicoline Greer

Anas and Ammar Al-Kadry

As is my routine every night, while in my bed, I fading in and out of sleep, I listen to late night radio. In the wee hours of Saturday nights they broadcast from Ireland, through RTÉ Radio 1, documentaries which are usually very compelling, and I am more often wide awake to listen intently, because these programs are so interesting, often very moving, and leave lasting impressions. 

Within Canada we in the beginning stages of accepting 25,000 refugees, and within my own very rural community we are going through the process of getting prepared to accept a family. I've heard bits and pieces of what life has been like for these individuals, and their families fleeing for their lives, but I haven't heard anything really detailed about what has happened to them. These are powerful stories that need to be told, resulting in a real appreciation for who these individuals are, what they have experienced, as Anas and Ammar Al-Kadry, and for the kind of unimaginable, and incredible suffering, dangers they have endured and overcome.

The documentary story by Nicoline Greer, called Sand, Sea, and Smugglers conveys in an in depth way, that enables us to understand the kind of incredible, resilient strength existing within and among these individuals, a strength that many of us can only imagine in a lifetime.

This kind of documentary, and the stories refugees have to tell, might help us to rearrange our values here in our privileged Western world, and what is really important, and perhaps to even see what own purpose in life might be.