Of fond hellos and poignant goodbyes.....

What a weekend - full of high and lows. I said goodbye to a special person on friday, not sure of the correct term - ex brother-in-law probably. My sister's first husband and the father of my two eldest nieces died aged 52 from cancer and his funeral was on friday. As with all complicated family dynamics, I lost touch with him when he and my sister divorced, but kept up with his life through the girls. My memories of him are those of a teenager and young adult where he patiently allowed my to go out with him and my sister on dates, picked me up from college at weekends to take me home for a visit and entertained me and various boyfriends over the years as I tried to be a "grown-up". I wanted to go to the funeral - to say goodbye and to support the girls through this - but I found it more emotional that I expected to (should have taken a tissue - one was discretely handed to me from the row behind!). It was a humanist ceremony and woodland burial - very special, but sad none the less.

Then a few hours later I was driving to Norwich to attend a reunion - with some feelings of trepidation I can tell you. The event was to mark 25 years of the opening of the Norvic Clinic - where I was the occupational therapist for 6 years. I hadn't seen many of the gang for about 19 years and wasn't sure what to expect.
I needn't have worried - although I will admit to stopping the car on route from the hotel to the pub just to give my nerves time to calm abit - didn't want to arrive looking too much like a terrified lobster!
Spent friday evening wandering through Norwich, taking a few photos and then having a meal in one of my most favourite restaurants ever - The Waffle House - sat like Billy -no-mates at a "table for one" but at least I did get a table quite quickly.

Saturday morning did a bit of browsing through my fave shops - Brambles, Beaujangles and Head in the Clouds, then back to get ready. Brought lots of outfits - trying to find the one that made me look 3 stone lighter and 20 years younger whilst looking cool, calm and collected. Bit of a non starter - was never going to happen so settled for something I felt comfortable in!

Anyway - once there it felt like I'd never been away - conversations were flowing, teasing, moaning about the politics of the place - all was though I'd never left.

Someone said on my facebook status "It was a fantastic gathering. Trouble is you don't realise the feelings and the bond that was amongst us until you move away and then return" and I totally agree. I came away feeling like I'd had a good time but also that a piece of me had been missing that I hadn't realised was lost. I guess when I moved away I "became" a different person and forgot to bring that side of me along for the ride. I am definitely going to try to recapture those parts of me - and those friends I have rediscovered will help me do that I hope.
Here's to next year's reunion!