Beth

Today was the annual decorating of the gingerbread houses, we had meant to make our own but that was just silly when you can buy a fab one from Ikea for only £2.55, would cost far more to bake our own and we would only break them! Ky had a pressing engagement with the shops and some party shoes so it was only Josh and I entertaining Helen and her gorgeous girls, Holly and Beth. I would have loved to Blip the picture of a scowling Josh sitting between the two girls with their finished houses but I promised him when I made him pose that it was only for us! Helen lost her mum to cancer just a few weeks ago and I can't speak highly enough of her attitude or my admiration for her over the last few months as she juggled being there for her mum, who lived a few hours journey away, with the need to be with her girls - she got it exactly right and need never doubt that she couldn't have done more for her mum nor would her girls have expected anything else from her. No one is ready to loss their mum, Helen certainly wasn't - but she has been strong, tearful, brave and emotional with just enough optimism to know that despite the pain that she wakes with every morning that her children are the future that her mum wanted for her.
I was struck, today, by how differently people deal with bereavement - Helen received a text from a neighbour saying she hadn't sent a Christmas card as she didn't know if it was appropriate, I, on the other hand decided to organise the gingerbread decorating - I think Beth had fun!