On one of our days at Helen House, my lovely cousins, Jonathan and Becky came all the way from Norfolk with Becky's girls and Jonathan leaving his own family for the day, just to meet Thomas and to support Jason and me. Becky had been in touch a lot during our time in Intensive Care and had already provided us with such support and encouragement. It was yet another meeting for Thomas that we had always imagined would have happened at some point that year, and had later assumed wouldn't happen at all. Becky was carrying a large hamper crammed with beautiful, thoughtful gifts, many of which still decorate our house today and remind me of the warmth and love of my wider family, and a flower pot full of little daffodils. My brother, David, came too and we had a fabulous family get together during the day as the children played in the playroom and also the garden at Helen House whilst the spring sun continued to shine. Cuddles with Thomas were in abundance and when he wasn't feeding or having his medications, he was shared around. He was certainly surrounded by love.
We made a last minute plan to head to the local pub, the Rusty Bicycle, for dinner - what better way to end such a day than with a celebratory meal. It wasn't often that we would all get together, and on the times that we did, it would rarely be on neutral territory, so it was such a treat to have been heading out to eat with them all. The pub was busy, but we found a table for us all to fit around. Once we were sat and settled, I realised that we were, once again since that time at the park, surrounded by the general public. We had another moment when no-one noticed our situation or that we were different to other families, a moment when we could go without special treatment or care. And all of a sudden, there we had it again, that moment of normality, somewhere that we probably would have been countless times had Thomas still been alive and perhaps we would have taken it for granted. The waiter had no idea of the significance of the occasion. The people sat at the tables next to us did not give us a second glance. We were able to blend in and briefly escape from reality.
This day has become a real highlight in my memory. When I think back to this day in Thomas' life, I feel incredibly moved by the love and support I felt from my wider family.
Comentários