Compassion, Winter 2020

Winter 2020 - Compassion | www.tcf.org.uk 21 so when is it Son’s Day, my day!!!!! when you get to spoil me!!” Do you remember saying that? “I do. And do you remember what you used to say, mum??” Yep. “Go on, politely crossly write it down.” I used to say, “Every day is ‘Son’s Day’ in this house son. You don’t need a day to be spoilt because you are the most important person in my life,” and you used to say...??? “I used to say, ‘Ha! Spoken like a true lawyer, mum but I bet that line won’t work on you come Mother’s Day’ and we laughed and... “ Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum..... “Ok, ok, steady on now mama. No more politely cross. It’s fine.” It’s not fine James. I must have known over the last six years that there is an International Son’s Day. Why didn’t I mark the occasion with something!! “Like what?” I don’t know, come to the cemetery maybe? Get you some flowers? I don’t know. Something. “ But you were at the cemetery the day before!” Ok, then maybe write something profound on social media or post a picture of you or something? “You do that most days too.” Make your favourite food then... “Stop it. Stop looking for ways to beat yourself up. Come on. How many times did you say James yesterday?” Eh? “How many times did you say James?” I don’t know... “Well, I do. I heard them. Every one. When you got up and said, “Morning Jimany”, and when you asked me in your head, “What shall we have for breakfast son”, and when you got on the scales and.....” James!!!! Don’t you dare. “Ok, we’ll skip that bit. And when you were typing that work and then it didn’t save and I got the blame for that... “James why are you messing with my work son, I don’t have time for this”, and then, when you were forced to re-type your work and you actually liked the second version better and then it was, “Oh, I see what you did there, Jamesie. Cheers mate”, and you weren’t very unpolitely fuming any more... I could go on but I fear that we might bore people.”