Birthday plus 1

So...birthday plus one. I don't know about the mothers among you but on a child's birthday one's mind is often taken back to that moment of birth. JBoy came quickly. No hanging about for him. We only just had time to organise our marvellous friend to come and sit with the Others, then M rushed me to the local hospital. (I was a little offended  as he made me sit on plastic bags..in case...)(funny the things one remembers) JBoy arrived amidst the usual mount of maternal heaving and paternal encouragement. He rushed into the world, determined to make his presence felt. He has been doing that ever since. Within moments, it became clear that our Boy was not functioning as he should. We were whisked from our lovely local maternity unit which has long since closed to the soulless nearby teaching hospital with all the equipment and staff needed to ensure that our Boy survived. I have written before about the long dark days which followed as condition after condition unveiled itself and it became clearly apparent that our Boy was not going to be the usual run of the mill child, if indeed there is such a person! So today I have been able to think back to the days which followed Jboy's arrival in the world. To say they were hazy would be an understatement but we had a huge amount of support and love from friends , without whom I m not sure how we could have managed. They know who they are. They are our friends to this day, although life has meant that we don't see them as much as we once did. I love them dearly. They were more supportive than our families at that time who were coming to terms with their own ways of dealing with the conundrum that was JBoy. Our parents particularly found it hard to understand and cope. There were suggestions that we should put him in a home, give him up for adoption and other thoughts which M and I would not countenance. My dad ,though,was amazing. He just loved the Boy. Unconditionally from the moment he knew of his existence until his dying day. They 'had some fun' together. JBoy responded to my dad, recognising on some basic level that here was someone who loved him and made him safe. Our other parents never quite managed that....they did try. My dad just didn't have to try. He just loved.



But enough of this, today is birthday plus one, another day, another chance to be grateful to all the people who have been part of our lives. THANK YOU

Live long and prosper

The End