Our Rainbow

Our Rainbow

Written by Pauline Barclay and inspired by true events.

Who would have thought what eight weeks would bring? Nothing in our imagination could have thought any of this could happen or what we were about to face. Nothing could have prepared our family for what was about to happen.

Stay at home, the headlines flash. The radio and television never stop reminding us and then of course Social Media plays its part in telling us we must stay home. I understand. My dad is a doctor, who better to remind our family about what has happened to our world. We are a normal family with four beautiful children who have more energy than a crowd at the FA cup final. We have issues and areas of our lives that often need help. One of our sons, from time to time, needs special help, but we still see ourselves as normal. We are happy, full of optimism and we are surrounded by a wonderful extended family who help and care.

Lock down is announced and not only must we stay at home, but our extended family can no longer visit and, equally as upsetting, we can’t visit them. Three of our four children now have home schooling, the baby is still running around playing with her toys and totally happy that her brothers and sister are home all day.  And, like every home in the country we have to try and find a routine and a way of life to get through however long lock down will last. Our home has become, a school room, an office, a playroom, a playground, a cinema and much more. Who would have thought these small four walls would have to encompass so much, but if we thought having to cope with lock down was tough, our real nightmare was about to begin.

At the same time as lock down was announced we learnt that the lady of our home was diagnosed with cancer. My beautiful partner and mother of four gorgeous children was ill. The next few weeks would test us, but with lock down we would be taken to the wire.  Within days of diagnosis began intense chemotherapy, followed by surgery, quickly followed by the start of another long program of chemo. Our home, normally, filled with happiness, laughter and family chaos, was trying to cope. Tears from children who didn’t and couldn’t understand how sick mummy was. Home schooling became difficult and at times impossible. Our son who needs a little help, found the lack of routine and his mummy needing to leave the home for hospital appointments too much to deal with. Before lock down, my dad, a doctor, decided he would stay with us for a few days. I will never be able to thank enough Gods for him staying back then, because of lock down he has remained and without him being with us, we would never have got this far. Lock down means we can’t have our family come and help us, we are muddling through. Cooking has become something that we share as best we can, the children get involved as they know daddy is not a cook good or otherwise, but so far we have not starved. We are doing our very best and our children still laugh and smile and play happily together. Their energy never ceases to amaze me. We have moments of tears and questions and more so when mummy is so very sick after her chemo session. Yet despite all this she finds the strength to cuddle them, tell them how much she loves them and that she will be well again soon. We know it will end and our beautiful lady of the house will recover. We know it will take a long time for her to regain full strength, but she will. The lock down will end, eventually, and life will carry on. Families will once again be together and our own rainbow’s colours will shine brighter and more vibrant because we are a family; a beautiful family that fights and we will come through all of this.