Post 15:September 17th

DIARY 17th September
Levana rang me from Canada yesterday. “Grandma from England I have written you a letter. I love you so much the kisses are all on the back. “ I have her other letters pinned up on the fridge door. She is only five years old and hasn’t quite grasped the separation of words, but what she writes is thrilling to read and brings tears to my eyes.I love my Grandma England I think that you are niceFor my Grandma England I wish you are feeling betterFor my Grandma England I think that you are a lovely Grandma. I hope you do look at this letter.
I love my Grandma. She is a lovely Grandma. I haven’t got
anybody who is as lovely as Grandma.



Levana is very special to me. I had gone to Canada to be there at her birth in 2002. I was due to fly back to the UK on the 2nd of September for work.
When Rachel hadn’t gone into labour by the end of August she was in a flat panic. This was in part due to the fact that she thought she would never give birth, and the foetus would start shrinking back to nothing, and partly that she desperately wanted me to be there to support her.
Though I knew I should feel disappointed that I might miss the birth, I found it impossible to get stressed. Deep down I knew that it would turn out OK.
Rachel was on pins. She saw every discomfort as a sign things were moving. When the phone rang at 2am on the Friday morning she woke with a start. “The phone is ringing. It’s ridiculous o’clock. I must be in labour”. In fact it was a friend who was ringing from abroad and who had forgotten about the time difference!
By the time Rachel did go into labour early on Saturday morning it was just one day away from my having to leave Canada. By Saturday evening Rachel’s pains were strong and rapid so I accompanied her to the hospital where I stayed with her all night. The following morning I saw Levana’s head crowning. I hadn’t witnessed the birth of either of my own two as they were both born by caesarean section. Watching my first granddaughter make her entry into the world was for me a unique miracle. I was even allowed to cut the cord before holding this precious baby in my arms, tears streaming down my face. A wave of emotion overwhelmed me. Twenty minutes later I had to start my journey to the airport. I cried most of the way home.