25 May 2009

It has been a strange weekend. For the most part I have felt exhausted. Friday was a bit weird to say the least. I picked my younger son up from school which would have been fine if I had managed to have a nap beforehand but time ran out on me. I went to see my parents to drop off the papers that my mum had given me for the family tree project I am working on.

I took Charlie back and decided to go home to sleep rather than sleep beforehand.

I had got halfway home when my youngest brother phoned to ask if I could pop round to give him some advice. So I turned back and drove in the opposite direction from my bed.

I always like seeing any, or all, of my brothers. Whilst down the years we have had our differences, nowadays we get on very well. And I always love seeing my nephews and niece.

When I got to my brother's house, he was still en route from work but I had a coffee with my lovely sister-in-law and chatted away.

My brother arrived and produced a box containing a shiny new television to replace the one in my bedroom that had packed up, a present from all of my brothers.

I sat there and felt the tears well up in my eyes, but fought them back. It blew me away that they would do such a kind thing. I stayed for dinner and finally left about 9.

Didn't get to bed finally until about 12, totally exhausted but very very happy.

On Saturday, my sons gave me another early birthday present! A signed first edition of Stephen Fry in America. That completed my feelings of truly being blessed by love and kindness.

And now it is my birthday. 2.30am so only just. I have been ambivalent about my own birthday for many years. Not that getting older has bothered me. But rarely have kind and thoughtful gestures meant so much to me.