Well New Year is past us and I have definitely not made any New Year resolutions to challenge myself to organise any bigger social events or longer bike rides!
The dust has settled and accounts are more or less finalised from our ball night on 30th November. Final total, not including Gift Aid as yet, is in the ballpark figure of £105,000. When I saw this written down its fair to say I got goose bumps up my arms and felt tears prick in my eyes at the same time. That’s a hell of a total and it knocked me for six! So, so many folks aided us on that journey and then the actual night itself just seemed to whizz past. But then I had been immersed in all those ‘fine details’ of it for so many weeks, I guess it wasn’t surprising it went so fast. George would definitely have ‘filled his boots’ and danced in his own ‘special’ uncoordinated fashion. The band were outstanding and you could not fail to want to shuffle your feet. His pals requested Wonder Wall by Oasis as this was a tribute song that was significant to them during college years so fair to say there was a stage invasion at that point and the security team had to ask the band to ‘cool it’. They wee thrilled as this had never happened to them before!
Also taking to stage was my brother in law, Callum to sing a Robbie Williams number – Rock DJ. His daughter Lorna said I had embarrassed her beyond belief for letting this happen but he certainly got the floor jumping! I got a piggyback out of the venue at the end of the night as my feet had given up. Talking of feet, I have included a photo of the tractor and banner that Cameron stepped over, slipped on an icy puddle and managed to do the ligaments at his ankle and fracture his fibula – just what we needed in the lead up to Christmas! But he is well on the mend now and got a very bossy physio in charge of him that isn’t doling out much sympathy!
After the ball we processed some more applications for financial support from both local individuals and groups; Erin Rafferty, Jack McDonald, M-Pulsive Dance School and Charlie Clarke. We hope to hear back from these young Borderers as they go on their journey and experiences in their chosen sports/direction. There are many other individuals and groups that we have also supported that are under recipients on this website.
One of our young athletes that we are providing financial support to, Lucy Hope from Kelso, contacted us in the New Year to tell us of her progress in the pool at the Scottish Nationals and British University Championships. She is currently on her way to training in Spain to put in a last blast before the Olympic trials in April. So, wishing her all the luck that she gets the recognition and times that she needs to reach this goal.
One of the questions I come up against and still haven’t got an answer to yet that doesn’t make me feel emotional, is when I meet people in various walks of life who quite innocently and naturally ask – do you have children? Or, how many children do you have? I still pause every time ……. Do I say, just Lucinda – but then I feel such a cheat to my beautiful son’s time on this earth. Or, do I say two children and then the next questions comes, what are they doing? Again, perfectly natural and that’s a bloody struggle without trying to kill the conversation or make the person in question feel very uncomfortable which I wouldn’t wish to do. I have spoken about this with others who have had a traumatic loss of a child or husband, but I don’t feel I am carrying it off very well at all. So, I guess I will continue to try to avoid that conversation where and when I can for the time being and then get better at it at a later date when I am a bit further down this path without George in our lives.
So here’s to more pink skies and less dreary wintery wet weather. Spring will soon be here, and I will recall George’s time in the lambing sheds at Minto Kames and the laughs and general keeping spirits up of those around him with his daft antics. Wrestling sheep down to be left in dodgy positions with his friends or cousins videoing him for proof – blackmail at a later date! Or imitating his granny Susie’s walk down the sheep aisles as she flung her arms about with instructions – he did a good impression of that.
He made us smile even in the boring bleak times of a cold drafty shed – we miss you.
