this weekend was an important reminder
more thoughts on time
Hello dear reader,
I’m writing this after just waving goodbye to my parents who have been to stay with us this week. They live four hours away, and so tend to come and visit for a chunk of time. There are tell-tale signs that they have arrived. Bottle after bottle of toiletries on the side in the bathroom. Mom’s flannel and shower sponge thing. Two more dressing gowns. Pop socks on the radiator. A zip-lock plastic bag in the kitchen for all of my mom’s meds. A walking stick in the hallway. Tissues and hankies. The bits and bobs and paraphernalia and gubbins that come with mom* and dad.
They’re not getting any younger. They are young at heart, always, but their bodies, less so. Things are slower. Things are more difficult.
They watch me race around, and it is dizzying for them. They have the benefit of hindsight, and I know that they long that I could stop and be still a bit more.
This weekend, I did stop.
They don’t know this, or won’t have seen this, because it was an incredibly busy weekend. But I made a choice to stop thinking about all the other priorities and take the time to be as present as I could be.
You see, I posted an Instagram story, of my mom, dad and I visiting my son at uni. And a dear, dear friend of mine messaged me back.
* I spell mom with an ‘o’ and not a ‘u’ because I was born and brought up in the Birmingham/ Black Country area. I appreciate that for the rest of the UK this an incorrect spelling, but I just can’t bring myself to spell it any other way.
P.S If you are struggling with any kind of loss, please can I send you in the direction of the work of my beautiful friend Zoe Clark-Coates. Her books will support and guide you through the hardest of times. Hx