A joyous plethora of women - In the name of Thiago - Day 62

Every now and again a day at work has the capacity to surprise. I almost absent-mindedly said I would go to an international women’s day event today organised through our equality, diversity and inclusivity team. I do a lot of work with this team and it was a case of let’s show solidarity and all that.

I’d been to the male equivalent in November just a few days before Thiago died and let’s just say that the female version is somewhat more exuberant. There was loud music, lots of hugging for which I was used as a guinea pig for. Yes there was an actual hugging demonstration given by the sole male speaker at the event and I stood at the front being hugged by this chap.

It’s a fucking good job I’m getting used to all this outpouring of emotion shizzle or I think I might have found it a bit weird. Well it was still a bit weird to be honest. What I would say is that there will have been a fair few women in that room in Holmes Chapel that would have given their right arms to have been in my position. He did smell good!

It made me realise one thing though. And that is that one good thing that has come from the tragic loss of Thiago is that I am completely in tune with my emotions and understand what is and isn’t important. And much as some people at work will try to convince me of something’s urgency, I am in a far better position now to identify and prioritise. Even better I can now do it without swearing. I’m learning!

Women are much better at recognising each other’s strengths and supporting each other. The things that women would do for each other are way over and above what a bloke would ever do for another fella. That message was particularly resonant today. Women in my workplace support each other to the nth degree – at least that’s what came across.

Now don’t get me wrong, they will bitch about each other as well – I’ve seen it first hand so I’m not commenting out of turn – but you would rarely find a man supporting another man simply because he is a man. 

The only thing they got wrong today was the really strong focus on women in power. My feeling as someone who doesn’t have a powerful job and who is married to someone who also doesn’t have a powerful job – at least not in the terms that it was being framed today – is that this is not what we should be judged on.

When I depart this earth, I will want to be judged on how I lived my life, not on what I earnt. Better to be rich in friends and kindness than rich in money and I think all those ladies in the room today would also want to be remembered for the way they live their lives rather than the money they earn in it.

Anyway that’s enough sentimentality for one day, I need to freshen up then drive to Wiltshire to see my sister and her family. Bloody hope that M6 has cleared up a bit now.

Please folks, don’t forget to donate to the two wonderful hospitals that cared for my beautiful boy Thiago in his short lifetime. Help me to help them find a better outcome for children with heart problems in the future.