Proud as punch - In the name of Thiago - Day 39

It’s been quite an emotional rollercoaster to use a horribly overused phrase. Progress has been made on many different fronts and after yesterday’s tale of woe, this was a welcome release. Hallelujah!

Positive vibes have been all the rage today and all I can say is, it came as a fecking massive relief. Angelica sent me packing this morning with a box full of beautiful felt hearts to help me raise a few more pounds at work. We think there were 42 of them. Within 45 minutes of wandering round my office telling people what they were for and the significance of them, I’d raised £140.

People’s generosity at times like this is nothing short of remarkable. I even had one lady give me £20 and then later on in the day, email me to say how incredibly brave I was being and that my way of being had inspired her to face her own grieving in a different way. Just wow!

There is a small downside to selling out today. The production line is struggling to keep up with the felt hearts, so the shoemaker may soon be looking for some more elves! Angelica is providing a free lesson and possibly, if you’re lucky, some initial materials. She describes the process as hard work but extraordinarily rewarding. Any more volunteers?

The Virgin Giving Money page was playing up this evening so I’ll have to have another bash at it tomorrow but with the gift aid taken into account and my own little top up added in, the money raised from this afternoon’s ‘heartfelt’ (do you like what I did there?) sales will come to £180. Even for say a lawyer, that makes a pretty handy hourly rate I reckon!

Dad has been in good form today. He’s been up the whole day and seemed really focussed. Angelica and the big man went to see Dale and Collins this afternoon. They are the estate agency that my Dad’s house purchase is going through. I have to say that they have completely blown away my stereotypical views of what estate agents are like.

I’ll always remember the scale of popularity that an old journalism lecturer used as an analogy to explain the high esteem the industry I was heading into were held in. He would say, ‘at the very bottom you have mass murderers and just above them you have estate agents and lawyers. If people have a positive perception of journalists, then you may just squeak in above them!’ I think this is just about the only thing I can remember him telling me.

Anyway Dale and Collins have been great with my Dad and with my family as a whole. They market themselves as a family business and they truly are. The personal touch is very important to them and that is a lovely thing to see. It matters a lot to me.

Finally this evening I went to Elisa’s school for parents’ evening. I wasn’t surprised to hear how well she’s been doing. I know I’m biased but she really is a tremendous credit to Angelica and I. We are blessed. But if you zoom in on this picture, you’ll see why I had another teary moment earlier this evening. Elisa is such an amazingly considerate and kind little girl. This piece of school work was from three weeks before Thiago died. It’s making me cry again just writing these words. I’m going to have to call it a night folks.