I love September. It’s a bit like my New Year. September is usually a lovely month weatherwise, I feel refreshed after the holidays and I’ve usually had a spring clean in readiness for the new school term. But I’m deflated this year. Last year was different, odd. I was about three months pregnant and completelyContinueContinue reading “Back-to-school emotions”
Tag Archives: grief
Keeping memories of Abi close on holiday
While debating where to go on our first summer holiday without Abi, I posted about the memories we had of so many places we visited regularly with our ‘Abi family’. The Isle of Wight was one of them. Our last holiday together had been to Shanklin and we’d had a fabulous and very memorable time.ContinueContinue reading “Keeping memories of Abi close on holiday”
Just a bunch of grapes
I’ve realised I’ve started buying grapes again, and not just buying them… eating them too! Abi loved grapes. She’d come in from school and devour a bunch easily while watching TV. Ever since she died, I’ve not been able to even look at grapes. I bought some once about a year ago, just to seeContinueContinue reading “Just a bunch of grapes”
There’s no such thing as a ‘simple’ gesture
When Abi died, we were overwhelmed by the support we received from the community, from friends and strangers alike. The attention quite naturally faded away in time, but we still have moments where people go out of their way to help us in some way. These days, it seems the world is a more cynicalContinueContinue reading “There’s no such thing as a ‘simple’ gesture”
The reality of performing CPR on my own child
When Abi died, it was very peaceful and controlled. But when she collapsed at home, in our bedroom, we went from calm to extreme panic in a matter of minutes. I was reading to my other daughter, my son was lying in his bed drifting off. My husband was looking after Abi in our bedroom,ContinueContinue reading “The reality of performing CPR on my own child”
Did puberty trigger my daughter’s death?
My middle daughter came home from school yesterday with a pretty box stuffed full of sanitary towels and tampons. They’d had the end-of-year talk about sex and periods. My daughter wasn’t fussed. She’s quite happy to wait to grow up and, while she knows periods will happen at some point, she’s in no hurry andContinueContinue reading “Did puberty trigger my daughter’s death?”
National Transplant Week – Abi’s organ donation update
This week is National Transplant Week, and I’ve just changed my profile picture in support of the campaign (see here to do the same) and I thought it a perfect opportunity to share the outcome of Abi’s organ donation. At her death, we opted to donate some of Abi’s organs – her lungs, liver, pancreasContinueContinue reading “National Transplant Week – Abi’s organ donation update”
Dust to dust – interring Abi’s ashes
Following on from My Great Loves guest post about turning back into dust, I wanted to share our experience of interring Abi’s ashes. Choosing a burial or cremation is a decision I really wasn’t prepared for when Abi died. I knew she’d died and that we’d have to have a funeral, but I just didn’tContinueContinue reading “Dust to dust – interring Abi’s ashes”
Guest post: Returning to dust
My Great Loves is a blog I came across on WordPress Reader. This military wife and mother lost her darling first born son, ‘Gift’, age 12 in a tragic accident. She blogs anonymously about her ‘loves’ – her husband and children, her grief and family life. I have been moved by her touching honesty andContinueContinue reading “Guest post: Returning to dust”
Guest post: Forever 12
This guest post was written by my friend Sarah, whose son was in the same school and year as Abi. As her son turned 13 this weekend, Sarah reflects in this moving and inspiring post on what it is to be forever 12.When my eldest reached the milestone of his teenage years last week, itContinueContinue reading “Guest post: Forever 12”
Chasing Dragonflies 