Compassion Spring 2022

Spring 2022 - Compassion | www.tcf.org.uk 21 Week 389 So James, here’s a thing. “What thing, mum?” So, ok, you know how we have always had a rule where we can tell each other anything and we would never judge and we would always be supportive? “Yes, although I now understand that this was something you encouraged to get me to tell you all my secrets.” Yeah, it’s called parenting, James. Anyway, I discovered something last week which I’m finding hard to explain. “Try.” Ok, so, you might think I’m a bit crackers. “Mum, I’ve always known that. Go on, what did you do?” I tried to watch a programme on TV about the Hillsborough tragedy. “Oh? And?” Well, for the first time in absolutely ages and ages, I broke down son. Literally, broke down. Crying, shaking, unable to breathe, the whole lot. “Oh dear. That’s not good.” No, James, that’s the point. It was good. “What?” See? I told you that you would think I’d lost it. But it was good. “Explain.” Well, after I recovered and turned to something more frivolous to watch, I reflected on what had just happened. The actress who played the grieving mother did it so well and portrayed that catastrophic moment when she found out that her son had died in such an honest way that it plunged me back to the beginning. I felt like I was back in that awful moment again myself. “And that is good because?”