I make no apology because just perhaps it might help us stop sweating over the small stuff. For Clive there was no tomorrow after he went to bed that Saturday evening. For the rest of us we can do the best we can by making today ‘count’. So I have!
After a reasonable sleep I awoke feeling warm and cosy, so just stayed in bed, enjoying the moment. Clive used to have a huge empathy for the homeless. I counted my blessings for being where I was even if it was on my own (plus cuddly toys). I had a couple of phone calls and texts from my support team – and what a team they are – and convinced them that ‘tomorrow’ had arrived for me and I was going to make it count.
My lovely GP phoned to check how I was (what service) and I am doing okay but maybe need to try to sleep sometimes without the tablets. So a small goal for me there. I must try some Horlicks. A glass or two of wine might be a nice treat too when I have company.
Next I spoke to Richard who had booked Clive for ‘An evening with’ next month. Clive had a goal of doing a UK ‘one man show’ tour. On our vision board is a ticket he made that says,
Admit One Person
To
An Evening with Clive Gott
See Clive in this amazingly inspirational and darn right funny
One-man show as it tours the UK
It would have happened…
I explained to Richard that I am fully intending incorporating Clive’s messages in my presentations and if Rotary had any other events coming up to bear me in mind. I recalled how I did my first ever speech at a Rotary meeting when I was 17. I had been sponsored by Runcorn Rotarians to go on a 3 week Outward Bound course during the summer holidays of my sixth form. On my return I got a call to ‘come for lunch and tell a few of us how it went’. On arrival I was on top table with a room filled with about 40 gentlemen. During the meal the president turned to me and asked
‘Tell me, Miss Walsh, how long is your presentation?’
What? Presentation? I thought it was a chat over coffee!
I then delivered a 20 minute ‘presentation’ off-the-cuff to a loud applause. Speaking? Nothing to it!!
My day then began in earnest. I had done plenty in the office yesterday and needed a more practical, ‘feel good’ time. I cleaned the spare bedroom and bathroom for my guest tonight. Cleaning for a reason is good fun! I had a chuckle too as I had to bin several vases of flowers past their best and put a couple of ribbons from the displays in the man drawer! Tee hee! Well, you never know – might come in useful!
Clive has asked for his ‘adventure pictures’ to be donated somewhere (can’t say where yet). So I chose to take a couple down and put some of my pictures up instead, that we had not yet decided on homes for. The hall and downstairs cloakroom were full of his medals, pictures on top of mountains. In our house ‘plan’ they were coming down to be replaced by our joint choices. So some prettier pictures are now up. We had begun to collect quirky slogans for the downstairs WC inspired by our friends Nic and Bob. I also put some of those up.
In Rhodes last year Clive spotted this:-
It felt really good to be putting things up. I have never had my own place before that I can put things completely where I want them!
I vacuumed downstairs before I had my shower. I was still in my fleecy dressing gown which needed washing but had decided to ‘whizz’ around before we all got clean. My last housework task was to vacuum the landing so I loaded the washing machine (yes, with the dressing gown) and vacuumed the landing in my birthday suit! Oh the freedom of no-one else in the house! I bet Clive was watching and giggling at me.
I got myself ready for the day and then remembered about Clive’s Filofax which I had come across a few days ago when I was sorting his desk. Something made me open it. On the first page of all his notes was a quote from a presentation he had heard. It honestly read
‘Life is too short – what are you waiting for?’
As I turned the pages my emotions flipped from rock bottom to sky-high. I will share lots more from here another time. Wow! What messages are in there.
I decided I needed to eat, did so, but as I washed up I got drowned in the wave of tears and ‘why’ again. In my Marigolds the tears flowed. I opened my eyes to see two wood pigeons in the back garden. Yesterday I’d refilled the bird feeders (used to be Clive’s job). When my beloved grand parents died, shortly afterwards a pair of wood pigeons always used to be around my Mum’s back garden. She christened them Tom and Bertha after her parents. We’d often say ‘they are checking up on us’.
My Grandpa was a real ‘mans man’. He was a barber who cut hair for almost 60 years in Fleetwood, Lancashire. I always used to say that he would have loved Clive. They shared the same sense of humour and fun. Guess they both loved me too. I have never noticed wood pigeons here until the hearse was outside the house a week last Wednesday. Mum suddenly spotted them on the lamp post in front of our house. Ever since then they keep visiting me. This morning their arrival was so timely and very comforting! The cynic could say I am just grasping at straws for comfort. So what? It helps.
I cleaned the kitchen and admired all the cards. More arrived today – thank you so much Dawn and Terry. Look how nice it all looks:-
So with that I am ready for a good evening with a friend of Clive and mine. And I have bright lipstick on!
No internet still but with a Word document, a stick and a brilliant neighbour – we have communication!
and three trips back and forth to copy, etc! I hope you guys appreciate the effort!!
Let's all have a great weekend - and make it count.
Love and hugs,
Elaine xxx
No comments:
Post a Comment