💗I don't often post personal blogs, but I'm feeling a great need right now, so hope you'll forgive my indulgence.
The news out there seems all doom and gloom and somehow heightens my sense of a great need for more kindness in the world. As I reach a big '0' birthday this week, I have to feel very grateful, because as many of you know, I was diagnosed with a stage 3 breast cancer, 15 years ago. Recent health problems have led to me having a full body scan, which has reassured me no cancer has been detected from the top of my head to my knees! So I have great reason to be very thankful, but at the same time, it's made me reflect even more than usual.
The recent extremely sad and upsetting news about Sir Chris and Lady Sarah Hoy demonstrates just how fragile life can be - I've been listening to 'All That Matters' amidst tears at times and full respect in equal measure. It's wonderful that people are more open and discuss their journeys, but the power of strength many have, continues to fill me full of admiration for their openness and apparent ability to cope in such times. I remember back in 2009, I gained a strength I didn't know I had, but this was also helped along by much kindness shown to me at the time from many friends, colleagues and of course a loving family, but also many I didn't know.
One of those people was Trevor Sorbie MBE. So I was greatly saddened to learn in the news of him passing away and hadn't been aware of his bowel cancer diagnosis. I wish I had, because I would have written to him. But this video of him and his wife Carole appearing on 'This Morning' just a month ago was incredible. So the back story is that Trevor helped me in 2009 and showed a kindness that blew me away, making such a difference at that fragile time of my life. I wrote a quarterly editorial for a craft magazine for 20 years (1996 to 2016) called Craft Creations, that was all about making hand made greetings cards. In the early days I also designed a few cards, the patterns were published, but it coincided with starting my travel medicine training. So in the end I wrote the editorial only, which on reflection has turned into a bit of a catalogue of my life at the time.
I found the edition from Summer 2009 when I wrote about Trevor. He set up a charity called 'My New Hair' which provides support and advice for medical hair loss and he used to teach hairdressers to cut wigs so they looked natural. I explain it in the Summer 2009 editorial, so please read it here. I also wrote a follow up piece in the Autumn of 2009, at a time I was just about starting to need to wear the wig, but explain a memorable day out! The Autumn editions were always full of beautiful Christmas card patterns and instructions, so please contact me if you'd like to see it!
You can also read the editorial here
I didn't know that Trevor was the originator of the 'Wedge' hairstyle. In my nurse training and time working as a staff nurse at St. George's Hospital I shared a flat with three great friends and we all went to a hair salon on the King's Road called 'Sissors' and had these hair styles. There's a larger picture of my sporting the cut in my staff nurse uniform, at the bottom of a blog I wrote in lockdown!
Today I'm about to finish some travel medicine work, make another posting on my FB page in relation to travel health and then finish some cards to take along to the salon to hopefully get delivered to Trevor's wife, along with a message. But also in conclusion, I have a number of close family members, some good friends and colleagues going through tough times just now - you know who you are - and I send my love, a big hug of kindness and many positive thoughts to you 😘💗xxx
