My year started off badly for me when I fell seriously ill on Boxing Day, having developed a new and more aggressive terminal cancer than the one I already had, necessitating a two-month hospital stay as an inpatient; almost dying twice, followed by another eight bouts of chemotherapy as an outpatient until July.
Since midsummer, however, we managed to get a lovely holiday in Cornwall and I have spent many hours up at our allotment, which we have started to get back in ship shape. It's nice at the allotments in the fresh air and surrounded by the person in the world whom I most love; my lovely wife, Sheila.It also does me the power of good not being around people, as I am able to mix with any number of plant life without catching fatal human bugs such as a simple cold, having no immune system. Indeed, I don't mind having to talk to my flowers. My son, William and his partner, Josephine, who live in Australia, have recently spent a few weeks with us in Haworth. His muscle up at the allotments laying new curb and paving stones has been of enormous help.
We are setting off to pick up our new Peugeot 3008 in five minutes, but to tell the truth (and not wishing to sound ungrateful), however nice it appears at first view, it nevertheless remains just another 'thing' that can never match up to a flower in bloom, a home-grown potato in the cooking pot, the memory of smashing summer holiday and a happy few weeks catching up with my son. And most of all, having a beautiful wife and soul mate at one's side:
'Give me a life I dare embrace.
Give me dreams that I can see.
Grant me freedom from all need.
Cast not a shadow over me.
I need no change if I can pay,
nor savings for a rainy day.
Sheila, all I need is you.'
Copyright: William Forde: November 6th, 2017.