Well I know it's unusual for me to write a midweek blog at the moment but right now I'm in a happy happy place and I just wanted to share that with you all.
It's been a busy week already with following up on my event from last week and a whole host of other things but early this week I thought I had this coming weekend planned and sorted but, as often is the case these plans have changed but, I'm not upset about it, I've just made different plans.
I found out yesterday that a friend has returned from what seems like a very long holiday, we don’t see each other often but, long story short, we arranged to go out tonight, nowhere posh just Ikea but it was a chance to go for a blast in the car, to chat and to just get out in the evening for a change. The evenings are getting lighter and the mornings brighter so it really feels like spring is on its way. On the way home we called into a bar in town and had a chat over a few drinks. It was lovely to sit and chat, we don’t do it often enough and we both enjoyed it. I’m already looking forward to the next time.
This weekend I'm now meeting up with another friend whom I've not seen for quite a long time but she was a friend of Steve's from many years ago and is a great laugh. We're going in search of real ale, we will do some window shopping and perhaps a shorty countryside walk too but I'm not denying that the ale is the real reason for the outing. I've not been out boozing in a daytime like that for around four years so it'll be good. I'm so excited at the thought though, it feels naughty but, I'm an adult and I can so I am!
On Sunday I've been invited out to lunch and that too will be at a pub but I'll not be drinking. I'm hoping it will be a nice day as we've planned on going for a walk in the countryside too.
All that means that I have a full week ahead. I've just noticed too that tomorrow, March 1st, is St Davids Day which is the Welsh national day. I remember from school that it meant dressing in traditional costumes and having a half day off from school. I wont we getting a half day off work tomorrow though and I wont be wearing traditional dress.
Finally, I noticed a few days ago that a lady in a forum I belong to, (it's a forum for the bereaved so this lady was a Widow), but the lady was commenting about some odd goings on at home where her iPod started to play random music but, all the tracks were sentimental to her and her late Husband. She saw this as a sign from her Hubby that it's OK to move on a little and claim back some of her life for herself.
I wondered whether I will get such signs or if I have and have just not noticed so I think this has been in my mind. Last night when I went to bed I docked my iPhone as usual and the music started up, this isn't unusual but I skipped through a few songs as they all seemed to be "Steve Songs" in that they were songs he would perform, or favourites of his, (but not of mine) so I just skipped on to something I wanted to listen to which, at the moment is generally the Wicked soundtrack.
This morning I got in the car and the first track on the radio was "It's my life" by Talk Talk now I don't know if it significant but an Ex used to refer to me as Talk Talk many years ago, Steve knew this and said it was accurate. Now was that song really a message from Steve saying I should be claiming back my life? I decided many weeks ago I should be living my life fully in honour of Steve as he cannot. Just because Cancer took his life I shouldn’t let it take mine too. Lately I have thought a lot of this, I have felt guilty that I am living my life but also like I have to for Steve. It’s difficult but, was it really a sign? Who knows?
I don't know the answer to my question but I do know I believe in fate, things happen for a reason, Steve believed this too. For weeks I have listened to CD’s on the way to work but today the radio was on in the car. Fate or coincidence? Who knows? Maybe it was a sign, maybe fate determined I should read the forum entry so the signs made sense to me, maybe fate decided I would listen to the radio today. The truth is there are signs all around us that we take for granted, signs of a brighter future, of hope and of the tomorrow we want.
Think of the Daffodils budding at the moment, we know inside the dismal bud there is a bright yellow flower just as we know beyond these patchy days there are days of bright sunshine ahead and they will come, we know they will because they always do.
Think of the snowdrops, so pure and white and delicate. They bring promises and hope of a better tomorrow. From the bleakest winter they have forced through the hardened ground and offer their delicate bloom for all to see, just a promise of the flowers and blooms that will come to us in the summer. Perhaps that's where I’ve been. Perhaps Steve’s passing and the months immediately afterwards were my winter. Cold, dark, bleak and dismal but now, as I force myself to live I am seeing my life as a snowdrop, new and fresh and just the start of a brighter future which holds all sorts of things, bright days just like the Daffodils will bring. Perhaps. Again, I don’t know this but it makes sense. Hope is all around us we just need to open our eyes to see it.
Goodnight to you, I hope you sleep well, I know I will as writing this has made me think and I realise, life is coming good again, I am happy and am happy to be happy, Why my life is like this still makes me sad (ie losing Steve), but I cant change that so I am happy for my family, for my friends and for the hope I have for the future. I am happy to smile for Steve and for myself.
Until next time xxx
Life has been varied and I’ve experienced good times and bad as I'm sure we all have. In no particular order I'm a Partner, Friend, Brother, Son and Widower trying to make a difference. That's not an exhaustive list but its a good start.
Showing posts with label Wales. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wales. Show all posts
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Sunday, 9 October 2011
A half week update
You seem to be getting updates every few days now. I will eventually get back in to the swing of it I guess. Lets start with Thursday.
Firstly the same day last year had been Steves first visit to Christies hospital. Here is his blog, click here
I remember the visit and I remember how nervous he was, I was too but I kept him calm. The hospital is quite pleasant really, not like a general hospital, it felt more friendly. Steve just accepted everything that was told to him but, on this visit we were also asked about "harvesting sperm" just in case Steve wanted children after his treatment.
We explained that gays have still not evolved into child bearing creatures, the nurse giggled and, although we understood she was asking a serious question we politely told her that children had never been a consideration for us.
Anyway, this Thursday as I said I went to see Top Hat with my Mum. It was a good show. Not the same as a musical but really good and Tom Chambers who was in Come Dancing played the male lead. Top Hat was filmed in 1935 and starred Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, a classic black and White film. Apart from anything else it was nice to go out with my Mum.
Friday was an ok sort of day. Work was busy and stressful, I am conscious that my attention span is still less than it used to be and constant distractions from people in the office and others coming in and out of the office only distract me more so all in all it is annoying me. I guess I will get back to how I was eventually.
On the same day last year Steve had been to have the first part of his mask made for his radiotherapy treatment. He was nervous about it as he was a little claustrophobic but I was there with him in the room which made him feel more relaxed and afterwards he said it hadn't been anywhere near as bad as he feared it might have been, see what he said click here http://troubleblogging.blogspot.com/2010/10/another-day-over.html
Friday evening I popped to the shops, I needed to collect a gift I had order for my Sister for Christmas but when I got there it had not arrived. I called the order line to check on dispatch date and was told it had been delivered and signed for at my home address! There was me collecting from store and they had sent it to home. It was there when I got in. There's not a lot of stuff to buy now for Xmas which is good. I might start wrapping soon... Woo!
I spent Friday evening curled up on the sofa with a bottle of wine. It was nice to chill but of course it's then that I miss having Steve around to snuggle up to.
Saturday was a busy day. I got up and relaxed for a bit then went to do my ironing ready for my next gay road trip. As I'm travelling with friends and they have quite a small car I needed to pack smart and take as little as possible. I think I managed ok.
In the afternoon I got showered and then went out to see another friend I have not seen for some time. It was good to catch up. He's due to move soon so he took me to see the new place too. It looks nice, it's a 1 bed flat but is a really good size and looks like it's in a nice quiet area. I'll see him again when I get back.
On this day last year Steve had been to Christies for an MRI scan. I had a meeting I couldn't get out of with a friend about a bid she was submitting. I met Steve later in the day, I remember the feeling of relief seeing him after he had been out alone for the day. I would never have worried before but he had never had Cancer before. Here's his blog http://troubleblogging.blogspot.com/2010/10/today-has-been-good-day.html
It was tough for me to adjust to the realisation I couldn't wrap Steve in cotton wool and protect him. I am not sure he ever realised how tough it was to do but I did it. I hope he didn't notice how much i worried, if he did though he didn't let on. I vehemently defended his independence when others told him he can't or shouldn't and I know he did appreciate that. He wanted to live his life as normal as possible, that was truly inspirational to me and many others.
Last night, after visiting my friend I popped to the supermarket and picked up a few bits before heading home. I made a delicious meal and supped a bottle of wine watching X Factor and meddling with my iPad. I trundled off to bed at a reasonable time, well, just before 1am.
This morning I got up, packed my bag, bundled my eBay stuff ready to go tomorrow, got ready, had breakfast and waited to be collected. We set off around 10.30 for our big gay road trip to Wales.
Steve and I booked this trip in February for us and two friends. It was a gift for them for birthday and wedding anniversary, we are staying in the centre of Cardiff for 5 nights and head home on Friday 14th. For Steve and I it was a chance to be tourists as well as for me to meet up with some old friends.
The reason we wanted to head home on 14th was because it is our wedding anniversary. This year would have been our 5th. We were planning on booking in to a hotel nearer to home for 14th and 15th so we had some time out alone.... Instead I will just be alone.
This is the last trip I need to make that Steve and I had planned together. The only other things I still have left to do that were planned with Steve is wrap and deliver the Christmas presents we had already bought. Steve never stopped looking forward and planning for our future, he and we lived every minute of his last nine months from diagnosis to death to the best we could.
I have read Steve's blog again this morning from this day last year, t seems we had a lie in last year, not this year though, here's what he had to say about this day last year, http://troubleblogging.blogspot.com/2010/10/sleeping-in.html
Right now I'm sat in the car typing this. I like not driving, it means I can make more use of my travel time!
Hope to catch you soon,
Mark x
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