The Birthday Cake

Miriam, my youngest, will be 11 tomorrow.

She pleaded with me all week to bake her a rectangular sponge cake, cover it in chocolate butter icing and cut it into 25 pieces for her to share with her friends in school today.

I tried to negotiate various alternatives to this but she wouldn’t budge.

In recent years Leah did most of the baking in this house.

This very week last year, she and I were busy at Sam’s House in Bristol baking farewell gifts for the staff in Oncology Day Beds. For Leah’s Fifteens recipe click here.

On Friday 25th October ’13 we went to the hospital laden with home made sweetie goodies, for Leah’s last ever visit to Bristol Children’s Hospital.

Once Leah died, the baking cupboard became like a no-go area for me – it was just too painful.

It is so, so difficult for the remaining children when their sibling dies.

They have to deal with their own grief and loss, as well as the effect that this is having on their parents and on the entire family unit.

Nothing is normal any more.

Miriam’s teacher told me the sweetest thing recently.

The pupils were asked to do a written piece about their ‘hero‘.

All the other pupils wrote about famous people like pop stars and film stars.

Miriam wrote about Leah and said that she is her hero, for the amazing way in which she had dealt with her illness.

Thinking about this makes me cry, but it also blesses my heart so much to know that Miriam is proud of Leah.

I feel so proud of both of them.

Miriam has always been absolutely adored by her two older sisters.

Although it took me most of yesterday, in fits and starts, I’m really pleased to say that a very happy young girl is away to school today with homemade birthday cake for all her friends.