h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Feeling rather drained after the departure of O/H's eldest with toddler and baby, both girls. The baby is absolutely adorable and incredibly chubby and responds to music amazingly (very gratifying), the elder is rather a handful but I had the chance to introduce her to Bambi so we have bonded for life, I think. We also boxed a little, she has all that pent-up energy in spades and I gave as good as I got, which she enjoyed.

O/H's daughter (and all of us) was stopping over on her way to the seaside, without her husband who had to go back to Argentina to attend the funeral of his brother's young son and the child's maternal grandmother. Another young child is in intensive care. Cause : a drunken car-driver who mowed them down while they were walking on the pavement. He was first caught by the police then bribed them to take the first flight to Brazil (this is a true story)which he did. A rich guy apparently. Fortunately the family was able to use well-placed contacts and he was shipped back on arrival and is now in jail. The whole family is distraught and it is hard not to feel hate.

Selfishly, this has reawakened all the fears I used to have when I first started to take care of my granddaughter. I stay well back from the edge of the pavement, always wait for the little green man and pay extra attention whenever crossing a street, but what can you do against someone who is driving on the pavement?

This has put other gripes in perspective.

Martine

What a terrible thing to happen to the family - I'd guess that your O/Hs daughter's husband going home will be of some support to his brother and SiL. At least they were able to get the perpetrator sent back to face justice in Argentina.

I can understand your fears too - I looked after my neice & nephew Fri/Sat and am so protective of them.

As you say - puts everything in perspective.

J

Oh Martine how dreadful.

This seems to be the month for feeling aware of the fragility of life. Thank God for the children - I hope so much that the little one in intensive care recovers.

Look after yourself.

Yes, isn't it. I feel for the poor grandmother, and I don't know how the parents can ever recover. O/H's son in law was devastated and he will find it painful to wrench himself away and come back. "Luckily" this was to have been their holiday so that he can stay a little longer, otherwise I don't know if the hospital would have agreed to a long leave of absence.

My heart aches for all the children who have nobody to be protective of them.

How awful martine - puts everything into perspective, as you say.