The hazards of life without parents can be daunting at times. I seem to live in a state of heightened emotion, at risk of going over the edge at the slighted provocation.
Four examples, all from the last few days, mostly from TV programmes!
1. Watching 'Who do you think you are' the other evening with Kate Winslet. Seeing her trying to explain in a matter-of-fact way at the start of the programme that it had been nearly two years since losing her Mum to cancer, and not quite managing to get through the sentence.
2. 24 hours in A&E on Channel 4 last night. One of the stories was about a girl who'd broken her thumb. However, that wasn't really the story, it was the interview with her Dad. He was sharing the story of how much he loved his own Dad, how special he had been, how much he'd influenced the way he wanted to be as a parent, and how he was obviously trying so hard to celebrate a wonderful man through the pain of losing him.
3. Walking into the lounge and finding Nicky watching a programme about a maternity unit, and finding myself watching a new birth. Realising that we're both holding our breath as the midwife unwraps the cord from around the baby's neck, and then that my eyes seem to be watering, again, when baby starts to cry.
4. Listening to the radio on the way to work this morning and hearing 'Castle on the hill' and for some bizarre unknown reason being reminded of stories about the house in the clouds.