“I want to do a challenge this year”

“OK, sweetheart.  What do you fancy?”

“Not sure yet”

<2 days later>

“I’ve found it” (sobbing)

“Found what?”

“The Challenge” (sob)

“Ok… err, are you OK?”

“It’s London to Brighton, for the British Heart Foundation. I want to do it for you in memory of your Dad. On Fathers Day”

<Sob>

<Sob>

So that’s how it started over Christmas.  Since then, Mrs G has got a bike and the necessary kit. She’s trained hard every week since she anxiously signed up to this years ride.  She’s been soaked out in the pouring rain and been sunburnt by early morning rays.  And today she did it. And she raised hundreds of pounds. And she’s great!

But Clare can tell the story about what is was like for her.  I’ll write about what it was like for me.

My special wife has honoured the memory of my Dad in a very special way today.  Not only has she dedicated herself to an extremely stretching physical challenge.  She’s completed that challenge in a way that would do him proud.  Working hard.  Never giving up. Doing it with a smile on her face. But it’s about more than that.

As a family, we live a long way apart.  We’re 180 miles from my Mum and 130 miles away from my sister and we don’t see enough of each other.

But today my Mum enjoyed spending time looking after my kids.  My sisters house was close enough for me to drop around unexpectedly. I spent an hour driving with my niece and nephew, chatting and laughing the whole way. We all spent a morning together enjoying each others relaxed and easy company in a way that was entirely natural.  But that all happens far too seldom.

Today my wife was the focal point and she wanted to do something to celebrate our memory of my Dad.  We are all incredibly proud of her.  But rather than viewing today as an exercise in remembering my Dad I see it differently.

Today was a day when we lived life the way my Dad would be proud of – and Clare made that happen.  So this Fathers Day I’m not looking back at what I lost 20 years ago when my Dad passed away.  I’m looking forward.  I need to do more of what  he and Clare conspired to help me gain today. Maybe I need to behave a bit more like he would and work harder at pulling our family as close together as possible.  We should do more of this casual family stuff, it’s good.

Thanks Mrs G

Mr & Mrs G