Count your blessings where you can, says KCLR's Brian Redmond - Kilkenny Live

Another week has passed and as we move closer to the end of winter you can feel people’s outlooks starting to become more spring-like.

With water cooler conversations turning to sunshine destinations, planned gardening projects, and how working parents are going to manage the child juggling months of school holidays. Yes, there is still some time to go before all those distant to do’s become imminent problems, however with launches of key local events like Tradfest and the St Patrick’s committees around the counties putting final plans in place for their own marking of our patron saint’s day ramping up, spring has almost sprung.

For me also with the final of RTÉ Dancing With The Stars happening on St Patrick’s Day, thoughts of time at the weekend, mowing lawns, dodging showers to try and light the barbecue and hoping the weather doesn’t get hot enough for kids to be asking about the old inflatable pool coming out are fast approaching.

Daffodils are already coming into full bloom and with the occasional distant scent of cut grass all being things to lighten the spirit, there are still things that occasionally bring a heavier veil to people’s daily thoughts.

The war in Ukraine enters its third year, with many commentators not holding out much hope of a change in that horrific conflict anytime soon. More hope is held for a potential lessening in the daily loss of life in Gaza, through potential short or long-term ceasefires, but we still hear daily news reports of yet more horrors coming from that part of the world.

At home also we have tragedy to report all too often. The roads and indeed streets of this country take far too many lives. With homeless people losing life without a bed to call their own and emergency services having to make those unimaginably difficult knocks on doors following yet more road traffic incidents.

Last weekend, a 47-year-old local woman Ann Delaney passed away on the streets of Dublin. I spoke to Carlow Fire Chief Liam Carroll and Divisional Roads Policing Inspector Paul Donohoe about the unbelievable challenges faced by our emergency services following yet more deaths on the roads of our localities. These tragedies may not make global news cycles but for the families, their worlds are torn apart.

The March 8 Referendum asked us to consider our position on both the definition of the family and secondly definitions around the provision of care within the home.

Worthy questions to consider of course, but for now I am just grateful to be able to have a family and a home in which I can care and be cared for.

Whatever way you’re planning to vote, maybe just take a moment this week to be grateful that you are in such a beautifully lucky position and let’s count our blessings where we can.