BLUE

Each year the MS Trust and MS Trust supporters take part in 'Be Bold in Blue' for MS Awareness Week (28 April - 04 May, 2014).

 

This year the MS Trust is celebrating 21 years of providing advice and guidanceand has developed a list of 21 challenges (http://www.mstrust.org.uk/msawareness/21challenge.jsp) aimed at raising awareness of MS.

"To celebrate 21 years of providing free, positive practical information, in the run up to this year’s MS Awareness Week we’re running the MS Trust 21 Challenge: 21 ways in 21 days you can get involved and make a difference for everyone affected by MS." 

The MS Trust have a fantastic website for those diagnosed with MS or for those wanting further information with News, Advice, Publications, Research as well as Information for getting involved:http://www.mstrust.org.uk/

One of the MS Trust 21 Challenges was 'to organise a 'Be Bold In Blue' Dinner Party!'

The girls (my 'Book Group Girls') and I met up (see ICE-CREAM BLOG) and we thought that this was an absolutely splendid idea, to have a blue-themed dinner party.  We immediately brain-stormed the idea: BLUE Outfits.  BLUE Food.  BLUE Wine.  BLUE Movies.  Steady on girls!  However, it proved slightly more difficult than we'd envisaged to find a suitable date; but we did it, we couldn't find a date during MS Awareness Week, we are a bit late, but we are doing it.  We are doing it now.  Better late than never. Exactly.

We decided we wouldn't do a full Dinner Party, as that would involve cooking and coordinating dishes; and although we are a group of immensely competent women, more than capable of arranging a fabulous dinner party, the effort involved in finding a date had somewhat zapped us, had drained us of our usual legendary enthusiasm and so we decided on a 'Be Bold In Blue' Cheese and Wine Party. BLUE Cheese and BLUE Wine.   Great. We agreed we could do that.  Once we'd agreed the blue wine we'd be drinking wouldn't be BLUE NUN the real organisation started, and with our usual level of motivation and passion and fervor and gusto.

The lovely Fund Raising Team at the MS Trust kindly sent us some MS Trust Balloons and Flags and stickers and a collection box to collect the money we raised.

And then we found a variety of Blue things.  Blue Plates. Blue Napkins. Blue Spectacles.  Blue Wine Glasses.  Blue Nail Varnish. Blue Outfits. 

We were having so much fun that we were joined by the younger family members, who also enthusiastically embraced the blue theme and then we ended up watching (and singing along to) the DVD of 'Frozen'.

I know that I am lucky. I know that I am very lucky. I have amazing friends. I have absolutely amazing friends who recognise the difficulties that I experience because of my MS and they accept them.  They unequivocally accept them. They know that I struggle, that I am very self-conscious about various aspects of the condition and they make allowances and exceptions; so that I no longer feel awkward, embarrassed or ashamed in the things that I now struggle to do.

During the evening in raising awareness and raising funds for the MS Trust it felt that we were celebrating the 'battle' that those of us with MS are fighting, and we were highlighting the fact that it is an on-going fight that we won't give up until we have won.  It felt as though we were indeed MS Warriors.  We were enjoying ourselves. We were having a laugh.  We were laughing in the face of MS.  This was quite humbling, but hugely reassuring to know that I have such tremendous support from my friends.

I can happily report that we had a simply splendid night; it was great fun, it was awesome and I think we definitely proved that there is a lot of truth in the statement that 'laughter is the best medicine'. 

There were certainly lots of Laughs. Balloons.  Glasses. Spectacles.  An auction.  BLUE Cheese. Crisps and Crackers.  We charged our BLUE glasses with BLUE Cocktails, and we raised them; we also raised awareness, and we raised money.  In all we raised £30 and we had a great time.  I think that is evidence of a very successful evening.

You can donate to the MS Trust:

http://www.mstrust.org.uk/donate-online/

Or have a look at their website for other ideas of how you can raises funds and awareness, and how you can have great fun doing so:

http://www.mstrust.org.uk/fundraising/

We have already got ideas and are making plans for future events; and have lots of ideas for themes.  We're already identified as date, so there is already something to look forward to, and something I shall be blogging about at a future date.  Thank You Elise, Vicki, Donna and Lynsay for being so strong, thoughtful, generous, kind and funny; and for being just generally amazing friends.