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.