The roller coaster of life

The last few weeks have been a roller coaster ride that even Alton Towers could not match. First I lost my brilliant, witty and whimsical Mum. I feel her loss very deeply but manage to remember the many good times, the love and the laughter. In quiet moments I reflect on her life and legacy. At other times my head is so full of thoughts that I feel like they are going to burst out of my ears.

Alongside the lows, as most of you know, I experienced a miraculous high: my great news about my 'upgrade' from 'terminal' to just 'secondary'. I celebrate every day and thank God for the reprieve I have been given.

In addition, we also made a difficult decision this week to clear out my late sister Steph's bedroom; a task that was long overdue. Amongst the precious mementoes were some real treasures, a padlocked diary, a hand-made book of '80s song lyrics and a guide to our top secret 'Butterfly Club' (founder members, Steph's best friend Karen, me and my sister).

So, as always, there have been some beautiful moments, some time for sadness and the slightly receding, but omni-present shadow of cancer.

To paraphrase a well known song lyric, I've been getting by with the help of my amazing husband, extra-special Dad and wonderful friends. Let's hope, to labour the metaphor, that I can remain on track.