Snapshot: Losing it in Lostwithiel
"Remember, if anyone asks – we are a nice, normal family!" This is what the jokey placard in a high-street card shop says, and it makes me think of this picture. It was taken in Port Quin in Cornwall during a somewhat stressful family holiday in August 2014. It was stressful because our daughter Clementine, 10 at the time, seated on my knee, was suffering from a nasty spate of epileptic seizures at the time and wasn't really enjoying life, let alone a holiday.
We were there with our other two daughters, Lucy, was 13, and Pippi was two, and our dog Jasper. My husband, Andrew, and I were the glue trying to keep the worlds of toddler, teenager and very poorly little girl together – with varying degrees of exhaustion and success. Anxiety and sheer joy were mixed emotions, like salt and vinegar on seaside chips.
This holiday will long be remembered as the holiday when "Dad lost it in Lostwithiel" when we parked in a disabled bay and a rather angry man bawled us out for parking there, without even looking for our Blue Badge displayed correctly on the dashboard. In return, he received a guided tour of our car, children, wheelchair and oxygen cylinder from my emotional husband, while our teenager hid with her head in a towel.
This picture is on our wall at home and reminds me of the need for balance. This picture reminds us of the need to build family narratives, for family time is precious and childhoods disappear quickly. Lucy is now 25, Pippi 13 and Clem is a 21 year old lady with a fabulous care team who support us in caring for her.
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