Becoming my own Batman Day 4

 

Day 4 of Becoming My Own Batman

3 January 2021

I didn’t have to go into work after all this evening and so my long weekend will continue until tomorrow. It wasn’t a bad day. In fact it was rather a calm day.

I wasn’t going to go for my walk today but then decided it’s only day 3 of the year and already I would be quitting. Batman never quit!! 

Batman would get up after a beating and say in the words of Captain America “I can do this all day”. I have already mentioned Alfred who is Bruce Wayne’s butler, but I haven’t yet mentioned the Dark Knight’s sidekick, Robin.

An orphan taken in by Bruce. Richard Grayson was trained and mentored by Batman, although he had skills and demons of his own, it’s Batman who teaches him that revenge, while an important motivator, is not the most important reason to do what it is they do.

In my life, I have had several Robins. People who have been at my side through thick and thin.

The first people who come to mind are my parents, but these are the people you expect to have your back. 

Over the years there are three people who come to mind as always being there for me in a pinch.

The first is Antonella Jung. We became friends when I started dating my husband. Her husband and my husband played hockey together, much of our social life was encouraged by these friendships, they were the people we would see most often. Toni was definitely the queen of our social circle. It wasn’t until we lost Jonathan that I realised just how much of a friend she was. She was always there for me. Popping in to see me, inviting us around, she was pregnant with her 2nd Daniel he was born on the 24th September 2002, our Jonathan was due in July, they were in my mind destined to be best friends. When we were expecting Kieran, it was Toni who organised my baby shower and it was even more important that I had her on the other end of the telephone after Kieran was born. He spent six weeks in neonatal ICU. I miss her everyday. Although thanks to Facebook we are able to keep in contact on a daily basis.

The second is my husband, the best friend I could ever have asked for. He has stuck by me through so much. He looks after us all so well and I often joke that if I hadn’t married him, I would still be living in the house in Bez-Valley with my brother, sister, nieces and nephew. Not only is he always there for me, but he is an amazing father. Our Children adore him. I could not have asked for a more caring person to love my children. Even my daughter says the only reason she can put up with all my abuse, is because she has Rob here to turn to. Rob stood by me after we lost our baby, he drove me to hospital everyday for six weeks while we waited for Kieran to be well enough to come home but the minute they put her into his arms, I lost him. I don’t believe he loves Kieran or myself any less, I just think that our daughter holds his heart in her hands and he would do whatever it takes to make and keep her happy. I am probably a little jealous but I wouldn’t want it any other way.

The third person is my current Robin - Jo Oru, when we arrived in the UK nearly 14 years ago I knew no-one except for Beryl, Paul and the family Beryl had married into. We lived in Woking for four months before moving down to Petersfield. I was working so the kids went to nursery school, it was here that I met a lovely, very pregnant lady. Being the jabber box I am, I began speaking to her as we waited for our children to come to us. I found out that her sons were Jonathan (he was at the infants school if I remember correctly) and David was who she was waiting for. As our first son was Jonathan David I believed it to be a sign. I spoke to her whenever we had to wait.

It soon turned out that David and Kieran had become firm friends. It started with play dates and cups of tea. Now Jo is my sister! I simply could not imagine my life without her and her boys in it. The same way Batman adopted Robin, Jo and I have adopted each other. She has seen me at my best and my worst. She is the first to offer encouragement and COVID ruined the plans we had for our 50th birthdays. We were supposed to go to Seville for Jo’s 50th but thank God when my 50th rolled around Covid restrictions weren’t so tight so we could still enjoy a meal out, a far cry from our previous plan which was for us to see The Lion King at the Mayflower in Southampton.

This evening Jo popped by very quickly, she left me flowers and a card. I couldn’t stop the tears as I read her message to me. Let’s just say she’s got my back!! I am forever humbled and grateful for her love and support.

So here are today’s victories

1. I went for a walk - 2.8Km in 33 minutes

2. I wrote this blog

3. I was reminded just how important friends and family are, but even more I was reminded just how important friends who are family are!