This diary was only ever meant to last 4 weeks. In that time Edward was supposed to have his operation, recover and come back home. Two months on, he is still not home. He will never come home. It is now time to stop this diary. Continue reading
This post might start off on a sad note and is long, but if you persevere with it I hope you will see that it is ultimately a happy one. Either that or you will think that I have taken leave of my senses. Continue reading
It’s hard to believe that it is only just over two months ago that we took Edward and Arthur for their open day at Powell’s School. Edward loved it, but Arthur was a little more circumspect. He was so happy at Mrs Berry’s, the wonderful nursery that all of our children have attended, and had made it absolutely clear that he wanted to stay there, in his words, “forever”. So it was been with some trepidation that we have been waiting for Arthur’ first day at school to arrive, especially without his twin brother around to keep him company. Continue reading
I have a complicated relationship with organised religion so it has been a pleasant surprise to me that one of the greatest sources of support and comfort has been our local vicar, Father Leonard Doolan and the Church of St John Baptist. Continue reading
Since I last posted, it’s been my birthday, our wedding anniversary and we’ve had a short break in Cornwall. The birthday and anniversary were both pretty subdued affairs but they were still meaningful and a valuable reminder of the healing power of a loving family. Clare, Alice and Arthur bought me possibly the greatest birthday gift I have ever received – a beautiful framed family tree with all five of our names in it. There will always be five of us. Continue reading
Unlike previous posts, I thought it best to precis this one with a quick explanation. It is, as the title says, about grief, so may be sad to read but it is also about hope and love. It’s not a cry for help or an attempt to gain sympathy – we have plenty of that from our family and friends – but it is in keeping with the style of this blog so far and is simply a reflection of how I feel. Furthermore, people keep saying to us, nicely, “I don’t know how you feel but…..” Well, I hope that this helps.
When I started this blog I had four loose objectives. The first was to keep family and close friends up to date with Edward’s progress; the second was as a form of personal catharsis which became more and more important as his journey unfolded; the third was, sadly, to keep an account that Edward would be able to look at in years to come to learn how he had fought and overcome such a huge challenge; and the fourth was to provide a reference for other families who will have to travel the same path in the future, and to give them hope and inspiration. Continue reading
It’s been a rough few days since the funeral but we have had some lovely and poignant moments with the family at home in Cirencester. One of these was last Saturday. Continue reading
It was a day that none of us wanted, but it was nevertheless beautiful. 350 people turned up at St John Baptist Church in Cirencester to help us celebrate the life of our little boy. We could not have asked for a better day, and we will forever be grateful to all of you who helped us to make it such a lovely occasion, and especially those children who came in fancy dress. There was a moment during the service when all of the children came to the front to light candles next to Edward’s coffin, to the accompaniment of Firework by Katie Perry and Mah Manah by The Muppets. It was simply lovely. Continue reading
