Thank you plumseverywhere, Mad Goatwoman of Madeley, lucklady and the member who sent me a lovely private message.
I really didn't give enough forethought before posting, as I did, so must apologise for any upset I have caused anyone.
My family, like many others, have been "through the mill" for the past nine months and it has been very hard. Situations where we have not known what tunnel we were in, let alone seeing any light at the end of it. Turns out we were in an awful lot of tunnels...some together and others on our own. What happened with my son, who is thirty-two, led him out of his own tunnel and is something I see as a positive thing. He is very glad to be alive and making an effort to piece his life back together. I'm very grateful to be living in an area where there is still a fairly intact support network available.
I'm very much a 'glass half full kinda gal' myself luckylady and generally manage to 'live in the day.' I look on life as a series of lessons to be learned and the latest one, for me, has been to allow my children to learn from their own mistakes. It's the hardest one I've had up to now and I have no illusions that it will be the last.
I still feel I was brought here by the fleeces of a friend's sheep, which may yet end up as padding in new cushions for my garden furniture and being used in the garden. Nine fleeces will make an awful lot of mulch and bird nesting material! Maybe I will package it and sell it on eBay to bird lovers...
Thank you all, once again, for your kind words and offers of support, they are very much appreciated.
Soo xxxx