Tuesday 18th August
You will always be
My Angel,
Alive,
In my Heart.
Missing you.
Love you forever.
My sweet Angel son.
xxxx
Monday 17th August
So, so many reminders of what we would normally be doing……….
All the people in the town, on their seaside summer holiday.
Filling up the beaches, traffic jams, queues in the shops.
Happy families playing on the sand and in the water.
Blue skies, endless sunshine, cold drinks, and ice cream.
Laughter, fun, chatter, screams, cries, waves and smiles.
We shouldn’t be here.
We should be on our summer vacation with you.
Somewhere in America.
Having fun. Laughing. Traveling. Swimming. Shopping. Playing. Smiling. Taking photographs.
Making memories.
But we can’t make any more memories.
Not with you.
Ever.
The memories we made are all we have.
There are no more to be made.
And that makes me sad.
Sweet precious Angel.
xxxx
Sunday 16th August
“The most precious jewels you’ll ever have around your neck are the arms of your children.”
How very true is that statement.
Facebook keeps reminding me of what we were up to “On this day”.
In 2013 we went to both Universal Studios and the Islands of Adventure. Just before we left, you gave me a great big cuddle. So sweet, so innocent.
So many lovely photographs of you, to treasure.
So many times you had your arms around my neck.
I wish I was still able to have them around me now.
My precious Angel.
I’ll hug you tonight in my dreams.
xxxx
Saturday 15th August
I have an Angel in heaven.
I call him son.
My son.
My thirty year old child.
Born with many problems, we made sure he truly lived life to the full.
Yes, his behaviour could be challenging, his language sometimes colourful, his non-compliance frustrating. But he was also so loving, caring and thoughtful.
He is twenty eight years old here, having a wonderful time in Sea World. A great big smile, and such a happy disposition.
Oh to have those carefree, fun days back again.
The days before he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.
The days before chemotherapy destroyed his body and stole his life.
I miss him so very much.
I miss our lives together.
I have an Angel in heaven.
My Angel son xxxx
Friday 14th August
Today is our Thirty Third Wedding Anniversary.
‘Happy anniversary’?
No.
Just
‘An’ anniversary.
Today brings all sorts of memories and reminders of happier times.
When you were born in 1985, and then your brother in 1987, we spent a few summer holidays in Cornwall, staying with my mother.
Since returning from Australia in 1992, we have not been in our home town to celebrate our anniversary.
We have been incredibly lucky to travel abroad during the school summer holidays. Firstly to the island of Paxos, then Bermuda, Tobago (twice), and then the Virgin Islands. In between, and since then, we spent eighteen years travelling to South Carolina, Georgia and Florida; up to five weeks of exploring the East coast, from Little River to Key West.
We always had such fun together. In the beginning we would join my father on his yacht and become boat gypsies, exploring coves and snorkelling in deserted bays.
When your brother turned seventeen, he decided it wasn’t cool to go on holiday with mum and dad, so it was just the three of us. We would still join my father, but mostly stay in a marina, only going out occasionally on day sails.
Since my father passed away in 2009, we continued to start our vacation in North Myrtle Beach, staying for a while, and then driving south.
For the last few years, our wedding anniversary has been spent in Florida; either at a theme park ~ Busch Gardens, Aquatica, Islands of Adventure or Universal Studios, or down in the Keys, relaxing at the Islander, or having fun in Key West.
Of course, you much preferred the theme parks and shopping of Orlando. Each year you would check out the new rides beforehand, and have an itinerary planned.
Such simple, loving family fun. You allowed us to have many, many years of happiness and pleasure. You were like a very young teenager for all those years, someone who never grew up, who never grew tired of the excitement that was to be found in Florida.
This year, for the first time in thirty years, you are not here.
So we haven’t really ‘celebrated’ our anniversary.
We have thought about you constantly, and all the different places we have been on this day.
It has just been ‘an’ anniversary.
When we went to visit your graveside this afternoon, there was the most beautiful peacock butterfly that flew over to your flowers, and remained there for quite some time.
I would very much like to believe that was a sign from you, that you wanted to be part of our wedding anniversary. Ever close by. In our hearts.
We do miss you more than words can say.
More, each and every day.
Love you to the moon and back.
Sending butterfly kisses.
My Angel.
xxxx
Thursday 13th August
Wishing you were here.
“Endless hours by your grieving bed
Wishing you were here instead.”
I wish for you to be with us, morning and night.
I say your name out loud, every day.
I talk to you, all the time.
I want to hold you, right now.
But you’re up there, in heaven.
And we’re down here, without you.
It’s so quiet. Nothing is going on. No plans are being made. We just seem to exist. We somehow make it through the day, then spend sleepless nights thinking about you.
Another Thursday.
It was twenty two weeks ago that you fell asleep and didn’t wake up.
And I miss you so very much.
Love you forever my Angel son xxxx
Wednesday 12th August
Five months.
Five long months without you.
Five months since you passed away.
I miss you constantly.
I smile when I think about you.
I cry when I think about you.
My Angel son in heaven.
Forever young.
Forever gone.
Love you to infinity and beyond.
Love you more than words can say.
Love you to the moon and back.
xxxx
Tuesday 11th August
You really did leave behind so many beautiful memories for us to treasure.
And these memories can never be taken away, they just seem to become more intense, every little thing now has a deeper meaning.
Thinking about you, about all that we did, about happier times, all those events, have a special place in my heart, but each and every one of those memories is now tinged with sadness.
They are still the same memories, but now they are bittersweet to me. The memories we have of you are wonderful, but we have to accept that that is all we have, all that we have left of you. There will be no new memories to be made. Ever.
My memories of you are therefore happy and sad, at the same time. I am smiling, and yet tears run down my face.
For the last few years, we would probably be down in the Florida Keys right now. Here you are, on the first night of our arrival at the Islander Resort in Islamorada. We had dinner in the open air restaurant beside the pool, where I had chosen a salad, and you picked the hibiscus flower from my plate, and put it behind your ear.
You look so sweet and innocent, twenty six years old, and not a care in the world. We looked after you, made sure you were safe, and tried to give you everything we could.
Beautiful memories.
Happy times.
Sadly no more.
Love you my darling Angel son.
xxx
Monday 10th August
We arrived home safely this afternoon, still with aches and pains in our calves and shoulders, but they are somewhat easing. We all feel a great sense of achievement, having done something positive, and special, in memory and in honour of you. I dearly hope you are proud of us. Smiling down on us all.
After dropping off my sister, we came to see you. We talked for quite some time, telling you about our weekend climb to the top of Mount Snowdon ~ but you knew all about that anyway, didn’t you? Because you came along too.
We tidied your graveside flowers, as the weather had been quite stormy since we’d been away. Even your sunflowers were still going strong. It’s good to be back close to you.
I think a lot of people learnt about you this weekend.
You were so very special.
Love you more than words can say.
Precious Angel xxx
Sunday 9th August
Oh my, what an amazing day yesterday turned out to be. We can’t stop thinking, talking, and remembering all that we achieved.
We keep looking at all the photographs and smiling. We truly had you in our hearts when we walked up Mount Snowdon.
The only downside is how our bodies are feeling this morning. Muscles we didn’t even know existed are aching and throbbing with every step we take. But the pain is worth it. We did our trek in honour of you. We wish we didn’t have to. We wish we were elsewhere. With you. But that is not to be.
As we made our return journey down South through Wales, the rain and mist were covering the mountain ranges. How lucky were we to have such splendid weather yesterday? You must have organised that for us.
And as we were driving along, we again passed the row of yellow, smiling sunflowers. You were waving us on our way again, weren’t you?
We wish you were still with us.
Love you so much my little sunshine.
Fly high my starman.
xxxx