On this day in 1960 my parents got married at Stubbings Church in Maidenhead. They had a long and very happy marriage before Dad passed away in 2009 after a short illness. Mum was diagnosed with bowel cancer at Easter time in 2012, and passed away in 2016.
Anniversaries can be tricky things in the bereavement process. They are days that are filled with memories, and it's only natural to look back to happier times and feel an acute sense of sadness. However, for this particular anniversary, how lovely is this wedding day photo from April 2nd, 1960? So yes, the sad feelings are there, as I miss my parents every day, but at the same time this brings much happiness to me, I am sure they will enjoying a lunchtime drink together somewhere today.
I do believe that bereavement is a very personal thing, and we all are different in the way that we handle it. The only things I tend to say is, that there is no right or wrong way to handle it, whatever gets you through, and there will be good and bad days, so be kind to yourself. I have shutdown and put a lot of memories away to protect myself, which is my own coping mechanism.
Bowel cancer claims 16,000 lives each year, which works out at someone dying every 30 seconds... It is the second biggest cancer killer in the UK. That figure could be so much lower if bowel cancer was detected at an early stage, as it can be successfully in over 90% of cases at early diagnosis. Only 15% of patients are currently diagnosed at that early stage.
I have been fundraising for Beating Bowel Cancer / Bowel Cancer UK since 2012. Please have a look at my www.bowelcancerfundraising.co.uk website. Let's raise bowel cancer awareness this April.
