Following yesterday’s blog post – I am pleased to report that this hospital visit actually took place yesterday and by accounts it was a great success. That said, a success is a dubious word to use given the circumstances of children with very uncertain outlooks, including two siblings studying at Paddy’s school.
Today is Tom’s birthday. My memory has never been one of my strengths; but I vividly recall this day 22 years ago. A seminal day if ever there is one, becoming a dad for the first time!
I tweeted yesterday…
“Today, 22 years ago, I became a dad for the first time – to date, the most successful thing I’ve ever done.”
And isn’t this how it should be, albeit through no lack of effort on my part in my other pursuits in life.
Although I couldn’t attend the hospital visit yesterday, Nikki has it all recorded and I will write and post a blog on thebrotherstrust.org.
It is certainly surreal and poignant that Tom can return to the place of this birth and have such an impact and not something as new parents that we could ever have imagined ever taking place. And fitting also that by chance, it should coincide with his birthday. And at this same local hospital, it is humbling to see how life deals out its arbitrary cards and a reminder of how fortunate we are as parents to have healthy kids – no matter what has happened to Tom besides.
Just to finish, I want to add, that I did not write this tweet in isolation and with only Tom in mind – but that it applies to all my boys.
And rest assured, that I still busy fixing this tweet. I am Edinburgh bound again this year with The Glory Year, I am about to finish my new novel, I’Gabriel and I remain ever hopeful that one day I will emerge from the shadow of my illustrious but irksome offspring…
All bets on this, are OFF!