Another year without you.....miss and love you so much. Would love to have one of your hugs and hear your tinkling laugh;;;;my special beloved granddaughter....... loving you forever

My beautiful niece - how can it be 14 years, when it feels like 14 minutes ago? Somehow we are all carrying on, and putting one foot infront of the other - but, you are there in every step Gem. I miss you laugh - God, how I miss that laugh! - and your hugs....you were one of those very special people who actually listened when someone was talking to them - really listened and gave your time - I cannot even put into words how much I miss you, I know that you are still around, but to just give you a physical hug and tell you I love you would be just so wonderful. Your Mum and your Brother are together today, I am sending them both love and healing. 14 years Gem, 14 years. The loss of your absence is loud, oh, so loud. I love you now, forever, always xxxxxxxxxx

Hey Gem. Have thought about you a lot this month. You were on my mind on your birthday. I wasn’t even consciously thinking that it was that day and there you were in my mind. 40. Happy birthday. 12 years ago I ran the VLM and you were what I thought about most that day. I got choked up crossing Tower Bridge, and seeing the charity signs. And every year on the marathon day you are in my thoughts. So here I am. I just needed to write this all down. Weird to be at 40. It’s a very definite point. It makes you stop and think, and assess what has gone before and to think about what’s next. But I know that when you’re in my thoughts it’s a reminder to live as much of this life as possible because life can throw you such ridiculously unfair curveballs. So, thinking about you my sweet friend and your excellent piano playing (was always so jealous cos i was so rubbish) and when we sang together and how you introduced me to Grease and so many other things. Time is a funny thing. It can distort distance like a mirage on the sea. At times it doesn’t feel all that long ago. M.