Mum

Today is a day of celebration. It’s Mum’s birthday and I won’t say how many years. It also marks the end of my time in Lincoln as later this weekend I will return to MK.

I can’t express how grateful I am to Mum for providing a home for me over much of these past 8 months.

When I was diagnosed with Myeloma in Nairobi, Kenya way back in April I was still living in Tanzania. I had no home in the U.K. to which to return for confirmation and treatment, even though my NI payments were up to date, the question was where to base myself in the U.K. upon my return. A phone call at Easter settled the deal. I asked if it were possible to return to Lincoln where mum lives and to stay with her whilst awaiting treatment. Meanwhile my wife and daughter would remain in Tanzania until July and would return to join me later.

Lincoln was a place I had not lived in for almost thirty years and suddenly to have your middle aged son under your roof after all that time must have been a challenge. In truth it has been remarkably smooth. Not to say we have not had our arguments, but they have been few, mostly about politics (arriving as I did during the election campaign). It can’t have been easy adapting to a permanent lodger after years alone but mum has been great, generous and kind. I have had use of her car throughout and have been fed and watered with no complaint even though I must have been a cost. I have contributed where I can but I am sure this has been token. Mums never stop being mums! In a tough year she has been an ever present source of love and support.

Once July came and my wife got a job in MK, I took the opportunity to move there, even so I knew I needed to complete my treatment in Lincoln / Nottingham and so planned to spend a period in Lincoln post chemo. This period of three weeks is now coming to an end.

In celebration of Mum’s Birthday and in grateful thanks for all she has done, today I took her out for lunch to Doddington Hall, a local stately home. Here we had a fabulous Christmas meal together.

We followed lunch with a trip to Doddington Hall to see their Alice in Wonderland themed Christmas displays.This evening my wife and daughter joined us for the weekend to celebrate and return me to MK where the new chapter will unfold.

As for this chapter I thank Mum for her part in making me welcome and assisting my recovery.