🎵 Ed Sheeran – Photograph (https://youtu.be/nSDgHBxUbVQ?si=t4emtQtxanHkLjk2)
Another day and, dare I say it, I’m still not feeling too bad. Tired, definitely and a bit headachey still but no sickness and my mouths no longer that dry!
Today would have been my Mum’s birthday. She died just over five years ago, aged 75, from cancer. Obviously there is a certain irony in me currently spending my days being pumped full of chemicals to get rid of the same bar-steward disease, but hey ho.
After Mum died, a lovely friend bought me an orchid. My daughter also had two ceramic hearts made for me, with actual words written by Mum and Dad copied onto them, and they’ve hung from it ever since.
That orchid has resolutely refused to flower for almost five years. Until today when one absolutely beautiful, bright purple flower appeared. 💜
Now I’m sure there’s a perfectly sensible horticultural explanation involving light, temperature, watering and whatever else orchids demand before they’ll grace you with their presence, but today I’m ignoring all that and I just believe in my heart that it’s a sign.
I was actually supposed to be seeing my sister earlier today, but she was diagnosed with shingles this morning and has now been told she needs to keep away from me for four weeks while I’m having chemo. Sad times – although frankly, the lengths some people will go to just to avoid seeing their big sister are getting ridiculous.
Instead, I had lunch at home with my stepdad. I’ve lost both Mum and Dad, which leaves a hole that never really goes away, but I’ve also been incredibly lucky with the people life brought into our family along the way. I still have step-parents I’m very close to and, as I’ve probably said a million times before, family – including the friends who become family – is everything to me.
That point was reinforced again later when, after a little afternoon nap, I took myself outside with my book to enjoy the sunshine and a gorgeous bunch of sunflowers arrived from my stepmum, stepsister and brother-in-law. 🌻❤️
So not a majorly dramatic day, but one of reflection with lunch, flowers, sunshine, and people quietly reminding me that they’re there.
And on a day when I was already thinking about Mum, Dad, family, life and all the strange twists and turns it takes, it all felt rather fitting.
Then tonight the universe decided it hadn’t made its point quite strongly enough and threw in a solar eclipse.
The last solar eclipse visible from the UK was in 1999 – the year I was pregnant with my firstborn. Today’s wasn’t a total eclipse here, although in Manchester I’m told that more than 90% of the Sun was obscured at its peak (more on that in a minute!)
Apparently the next one visible from the UK is in 2090.
2090?! I mean, I’m all for positive thinking about the success of this chemo, but even I think that might be pushing it for me to see it! 😂
So I thought I’d take a photograph of this one for posterity and somehow instead I’ve managed to photograph the sun and produce what appears to be a completely separate little crescent moon further down the picture.
Obviously I have absolutely no idea how I’ve achieved this feat of astrophotography. I’m assuming NASA will be in touch shortly😂☺️
Sam x
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