Indra' s blog: About Life, Lemons and Lemonade.
When life gives you lemons… A month ago my mum was suddenly taken into hospital with pneumonia. We found out it was actually caused by a horrible cancer that had spread and grown to such a size that it was untreatable. Defeating the odds she battled the pneumonia, but it was soon made clear she would never be coming home again and was taken straight from hospital into a hospice. It was an absolute and complete shock to the system. Obviously for us, but even more for her.
So where is the lemonade you might ask?
For my mum, she didn’t really like lemonade anyway. Obviously hoping to grow old with her four-leaf clover around her was what she had always imagined. Her four-leaf clover are my three sisters and myself; she feels we are her luck and the accomplishment she is most proud of in her life. Growing old, unfortunately, is not going to happen. What did happen was that we all came together and have been since. My youngest sister, who lives in Boston (USA), managed to get working from home agreed by her chief and after not seeing my mum for 4 years is now by her side in the Netherlands near enough every day. My two other sisters live close by, but obviously spend any available time with my mum. And myself, I am flying over as much as I can to be there where I need to be now. It is precious time with her and with my sisters that I will never get back and it’s something you can’t make up for would you regret not doing it once she is gone.
And I am so so aware that my lemonade is definitely here. From spending precious time with my mum, with my sisters, my family and my friends in the Netherlands to all those things that I feel so immensely grateful for;
For the loving tight hugs I get when I come home after another weekend away from my children.
For my husband for being understanding and battling through when it’s his busiest time of the year.
For my mum for her resilience and her strength to regain her humour in this difficult time.
For my dad, after battling cancer successfully himself this year, feeding us his best meals.
For those dear friends at home, that help out with the kids and take them in when I am not there.
For the kind people that check in with me regularly and show how much they care.
For being able to enjoy our new home for every minute that I get at home, even though there is still so much to do and all has been put on hold.
For the boys’ schools for being so understanding.
For all the emotional support, cups of tea, mountains of chocolate, trips to the airports, car lending and all the other stuff that really helps just now.
For the amazing people of Berwick Smile Dental Care; my understanding patients of course, but most of all for my team. My multi-award winning lovely team that literally dances around me, several not having been there for very long. All trying to make it easy for me to get through this time, to be away, while growing the practice, and taking over what they can whenever they can and now and again just bring me a freshly baked chocolate brownie or a smile.
Things don’t always go to plan, but it’s what you make of it.
So keep your fingers crossed for us: We are hoping to fulfil one of my mums last wishes and fly together in a hot air balloon. She will be on a stool with an oxygen bottle, but I can already feel her amazement. Come on, let’s give my mum some well-deserved lemonade!