Friends and Colleagues

This is intended to be short post (I think) but who knows....and, as yet, I don't have a title.

Last night a friend and colleague from the States Assembly passed away. Just like Jilly, Richard Rondel had been suffering from cancer for some time now. Just like Jilly, he had received many and various treatments over that time....but, again, just like Jilly, it eventually took a hold that couldn't be cured.

Richard was a "People's Deputy" in the true sense of the word. He wasn't one for the "big" issues, preferring to focus his efforts on his constituents, and the many and varied challenges that one finds when living in town. He was always fronting up community issues and public events, especially ones that concerned "his" area of St. Helier. There will  be others that pay tribute in more public forums, but I just wanted to express my sadness at Richard's passing....yet another fellow Oncology comrade who will be greatly missed...another cancer fighter who faced things head on.

After Jilly was diagnosed back in 2012 we both (well, Jilly mainly...of course) involved ourselves in (among others)..... MacMillan.... (setting up a group to support women with "gynae" cancers) and also helping in a small way to start "Rising Voices"(a choir for anyone affected by cancer). We got to meet a vast array of wonderful people, all of which I am now honoured to think of as friends....but, it's a sad way of making friends. I warned Jilly when she said she wanted to do all these things to help other sufferers....I said "it's the absolute right thing to do....but we must be realistic....we are going to befriend people who are going to die, people who are going to get very very ill...people who will become wonderful friends and then pass away. We both knew what the future would hold.....but I think it's fair to say that we didn't know quite how tough it would be at times. We have now lost so many close friends....so many inspirational, wonderful people.

The last thing I thought about when I gave Jilly that warning about new friends not surviving was that it would actually happen to us. As many others will tell you....you just don't expect it to happen to you. Even now, there's still a small sense of unreality about all this. I know it's crazy, and it's been nearly two months, but it's not any easier to come to terms with....it's different, but no easier.

I'm starting to get back into more regular "work visits" to town...more time in the office (not that I have one any more!) ....and meeting up with more of my friends colleagues. This last week has been no exception, and I've "caught up" with some real good friends....coffee, pizzas, patisseries.... it's all been good. More to come tomorrow as well.....a real week of "meeting up for a chat".

I haven't stood on any scales for while.....I'm not sure if I want to! 

This laptop is now telling me it has 5% battery......better publish before it all disappears. More soon.