Matthew turned 40 today.

It was mid-Easter, and he wanted to celebrate very quietly with family. Mum, Dad, Rachel and Aaron, and Jason and I were joined for lunch by Di’s sister Jenny, husband Bill and their wonderful kids Cassie, Patrick, Damon, and Conan who did a fantastic job in entertaining the ‘littlies’ and managing the chaos they can generate in a very short space of time. Our aunt, Ruth, who lives in New Zealand, was also able to join in the fun via Skype.

It seems remarkable to me at how normal these days seem even though things are so different. Today in particular was a day that may never have come. It was tinged with a little sadness, but lots of laughs and a teeny bit of alcohol. There are very many of you who have contributed to this journey, and your role in this recovery should never be underestimated, no matter how small it may have been. At some point, we’ll have an occasion for a very very big party, where Matthew will be able to dance and shake your hands.

In the meantime, here’s a photo of what’s most important to Matthew and keeps him going, every day.