Slightly Askew

We all got old at breakneck speed

Wednesday, September 7th, 2011

Bradley, my dear nephew, started school today. I hate the word ‘nephew’, it seems so cold and unloving.

Bradley isn’t just my sister’s little boy; he’s the kid that made everything okay again.

I remember buying him a Build-a-Bear in Hamley’s London toy store just before he was born. I kissed the heart that sits inside that bear’s stuffing before he was stitched up. It’s a silly ritual that they probably make everybody do, but it still meant something to me.

Bradley’s birth drew a line under what had been a really sad time for our family. I cried a lot when I first met him on that chilly Boxing Day morning. And then I gave him that bear.

Today he’s a little lad, full of wonder, mischief and kindness – all in equal measures. I hope he loves school.

This blog post doesn’t really have a point. I saw the photo of Bradley in his school uniform on Facebook, got a bit emotional, and opened WordPress.

Perhaps it’s just one of those moments that’ll forces me to take stock of what I have. And maybe try to appreciate this absurd life a little bit more before it flashes by and I’m taking a photograph of my daughter on her first day at school with my iPhone 9.