An experience worth travelling for

My work doesn't generally involve too much travel outside of London and the home counties. I'd not previously flown for work. I'd not been to Glasgow before this weekend. I've still not really been to Glasgow. I have however been to Pollok House. The beautiful National Trust for Scotland property set in wonderful gardens and parkland made a fitting venue for the workshop I delivered on behalf of the charity Missing People on Saturday afternoon. Working with the families of missing people is a privilege. Meeting them and working face to face in a group setting is a particular privilege, and I left Glasgow on Saturday evening feeling both honoured and humbled by the events of my long day. It was my first time meeting the individuals who participated and for many of them, the first time they had met another family affected by this harrowing issue. Whilst their stories were often very different, the situations in which they found themselves and the thoughts they have been plagued by ever since, bore striking resemblances. We worked with the similarities, and I invited them to take what they liked, and leave the rest. I felt as though I took a great deal with me as I left - there were many learnings for myself and the rest of the team delivering what was the first ever Family Support Day forming an important component of our Pilot family support programme funded in part by the Big Lottery. I was grateful for the opportunity to be of service to this most deserving population whom approached the mindfulness workshop with tremendous open mindedness and willingness. Language barriers notwithstanding, even the Highland cattle were friendly...

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Table. Apple. Penny.

Whilst there were several places I might have been that morning, I wouldn't have been anywhere else. The practitioner from the Memory Service arrived promptly. I liked her instantly. Mum was nervous. I think I was a little, too. It's been a difficult year. "It's Friday, it's the fourteenth of December and I'm at home..." No problems there. CAMCOG, or the Cambridge Cognitive Examination is a thorough assessment tool used to assess the extent of extent of dementia, and to assess the level of cognitive impairment. The standardised measure assesses orientation, language, memory, praxis, attention, abstract thinking, perception and calculation. "Table. Apple. Penny." Three everyday items that were introduced at one point, and then referred to again later on. Again, Mum was able to recall each. I am reminded that the...

Glass half full? Glass half empty? Or perhaps the glass is broken

I am, constitutionally, a glass half empty gal. I will always first acknowledge what I don't have, what I have lost, and what it is that I am seeking. I tend to overlook my strengths, concentrating only on those bits of me that are underdeveloped or weak. I refer to myself as a realist, but in doing so compliment myself and insult those who genuinely are simply realistic. My modus operandi is to identify what's not working and acknowledge this before seeing more clearly what functions perfectly well. This has its place: I edit others' written work pretty well. My fastidious attention to detail serves me, and the author. Accuracy counts, for me and I have an excellent memory. I can remember a great many of my sessions with clients verbatim. Even this asset is something I can, and do, diminish the true value of, by concentrating on 'I should have said...' or 'why didn't.... occur to me during the session?' Earlier this we...

Pausing in the sunshine

And so, chemo is over. My best friend's diary has been chocker... Line cleans, blood tests, scans and 18 weekly doses of the gruelling treatment itself. Summer seems at last to have arrived and with it, we hope, some time, peace and space. She is, we acknowledged over a rather yummy luncheon served to us beneath the beautiful canopy of creepers and climbers at Petersham Nurseries, an inspiration. A small group of us gathered to celebrate her forthcoming marriage. The sun's rays joined the warmth we all have for this very special woman. Warmth and, in my case at least, pride. It is the greatest privilege to call this woman my best friend. She continues to epitomise my understanding of grace. Our bodies are fragile things. Our minds are frailer still. In her composure and wisdom, she possesses an outlook I can only aspire to adopt. From you, dear Charlotte, I learn and I learn and I learn. The ...

The Reward is the Journey

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