Unintentional Poet

Remembering Grace Again Grace's 'birthday' comes around so quickly. Although it's now seven years ago, the unfolding narrative of that week still plays through my mind when the anniversary comes around. Each year is different and this year I feel further forward, more healed and whole than before. Rather than being on a roller coaster of emotion as it plays out, it feels more like watching an old cine film - a bit more distanced, with the volume turned down. Still there, still sad to watch but less painful, less debilitating. Professional support in moving forward (EMDR - a recognised and highly successful approach to dealing with trauma) has played a huge part in that and I would recommend it for anyone struggling with difficult, traumatic memories. The journey and ups and downs of this year are too much and too personal to write about in detail here, but I am always happy to talk further with anyone who wants to know more. Facing and dealing with traum

Fathers' Day I was asked to write something for our Fathers' Day church service...I found it a challenge as I know Fathers' Day can be a challenge for many people, for so many reasons. I tried to capture some small sense of the many perspectives people might have today, and relate it all back to God, the ultimate Father. Here it is:                    Perhaps… Perhaps, on Fathers’ Day, you feel excited, overwhelmed with gratitude for the man placed in your life to defend and protect you, hold you and love you, Pushing you to be all he knows you could be. Perhaps you are looking forward, with eager anticipation, to celebrating him, and hugging him, giving him your gift and thanking him for all he is. There are many good fathers, who model God’s steadfast love in this unsettling world, and for them we’re grateful. Perhaps on Fathers’ Day, you feel the loss more acutely, Of the man who used to be there, who defended and protected you, held you and loved you

A random ramble about motherhood...!   This morning I sent the boys upstairs to clean their teeth.   This may not sound like a very exciting start to a blog post, but I mention it because it is a new experiment. Usually I follow them up and clean Samuel’s teeth but now I am confident that he cleans his teeth well (on the whole) I am experimenting with giving the two of them a bit of independence.   “Oh good,” I thought.   “This could be the ‘it gets easier as they get older’ bit, where I get to calmly finish my coffee while they complete the requested task.”   Here is what ensued: arguing, pushing, tale-telling, one being whacked on the head with a bath-toy boat oar (you couldn’t script it!) and a wailed accusation of one ‘popping’ on the other one’s head! I almost straw-polled my Facebook friends to ask the question: “At what age can you ask two small boys to go and do something and expect the outcome to even vaguely match the request?! I suspect the answers would be varied.