Alice has terminal cancer. She is 15 years old. Like any teenage girl, she has a wish list of things she would love to do. She has published them on her blog. Unlike them, she has limited time. I have two little girls, who are more precious to me than anything. I hope that if I were in Alice's mother's position, I'd be as amazingly strong, as clever, and capable, as Alice says, of doing anything: I think I'm going to have to ask mum … [Read more...]
No Child Born to Die
The trouble with the interweb is that it moves so bloody fast. No sooner had I been deprived by a cup of coffee of my connection to the World Wide Social Life than Red Ted tagged me. It didn't hurt too much, fortunately. I asked PD to draw a picture of herself when she is a Big Girl. She literally laughed in my face. "Mamma," she said, "I am three. That makes a Big Girl." Hmm. And now TiddlyOmPomPom *hums "Oh I do like to be beside … [Read more...]
The Extraordinary people of Wootton Bassett
I had an other post scheduled for this evening but I have put it off. I have just finished watching a behind-the-scenes story of Royal Wootton Bassett, the Wiltshire town that made news across the world for the show of respect it has given to each and every member of the Armed Forces that has been repatriated after losing their lives in the ongoing war in Afghanistan and Iraq. I am overwhelmed with sadness and pride. Sadness that we have lost … [Read more...]
Why you should make a Will.
There's a spot on the inside of my cheek, a lump of scar tissue built up over years of inadvertently biting the inside of my mouth (I'm quite good at injuring myself in preposterous ways.) I spent the morning chewing that spot on the inside of my mouth, hoping that the sensation would be enough of a distraction. It wasn't though. As my Gran's coffin arrived at the Chapel, I could feel the tears welling up. As the celebrant talked about Gran's … [Read more...]
