Childless Parents Newsletter, Winter 2020

Newsletter for Childless Parents | www.tcf.org.uk 9 one for a few years, and we are not talking a little one, this was an all-singing all-dancing picnic hamper with china plates, proper glasses, a Fortnum & Mason cool bag, and miniature salt and pepper shakers etc. Bec proceeded to spend about 10 minutes opening the basket and looking at each item in turn, and getting more excited as she went. It was almost as if she had never seen such a thing before! She treasured that picnic hamper, and now we do too, there may even be a carpet picnic breakfast on Xmas day this year. Bec, however, was just as excited when at 4 years old she received one of the “best presents ever!” That year she was given many lovely pressies that she was happy about… she had a new bike, had her bedroom decorated by her dad, was given lovely new clothes but what was the most exciting presents she got? A wedge of brie, her favourite cheese! I promise she was fed all the time, there was no starving in our house, but just that simple thing, that her Aunt knew her well enough to buy her favourite thing for her, overwhelmed her. When she saw people after Christmas and was asked what she had been given her eyes would light up as reeled off a few things and then said, with awe, “and I got brie!” It must have been exhausting to be her, to feel so many emotions so intensely, but I wish we were all a little more like her, a little more Becca. I know for all of us Christmases, birthdays, celebrations of all types will never be the same again but… this year I am determined to TRY to enjoy the festive period a little bit again, for Becca. I used to go in with gusto, from October to January, and I want to feel a little of that again. I know it will be different, especially this year with no idea how this awful pandemic will affect our plans, and it will only be 23 months since we lost her, but I am trying. I have