rivers2cross

Through Mum I rediscovered Cornwall. We went there a couple of times on family holidays when we were young, but when I returned there in 2012 it was for the first time in over 35 years. These two trips split by 4 years both involved picking Mum up from the quite beautiful St Anthony-in-Meneage and both times were the week before Whitsun in May. Mum went there to stay with friends who would hire a house in the most special setting.

The 4 years apart very much tells the story of where Mum was at with her bowel cancer. 2012 being at the beginning and 2016 towards the end. I have not had the opportunity to go back to Cornwall since, but not because of any sad triggering memories, but I have never felt like going there on my own. That is something only I can solve of course. For me, the area holds special memories now, and it remains very much on my radar of to do things.

In 2012, Mum went there after she had completed her chemo and radiotherapy to shrink the tumour before the bowel surgery. My brother had taken her and I was doing the picking up at the end of the week. We knew she might get called back early for an appointment and sure enough I had to go and pick her up a day early at very short notice. I left work mid afternoon for the 5 hour drive and arrived to the most stunning evening and setting. Sadly for me, we were back on the road early the next day, so I only really got a brief flavour of the stunning location.

It was very different in 2016. Mum went there with things looking very uncertain with the cancer back and spread to her brain. We were still waiting for the cyberknife results, but things were not looking great. However, she had the most wonderful week once again with her life-long friends in the same house. I was able to go down for a couple of days with the two dogs and it is possibly my favourite memory of time with Mum during the four and a half years she lived with cancer.

A couple of weeks after this trip Mum ended up in hospital and sadly she died a couple of months later. These photos epitomize her and how she just kept on living her life not allowing it to be defined by cancer. One day soon I will return to Cornwall and no doubt raise a glass x