Families - real and imagined.

We had a good night, last night. Roch and I went to see a play called 'Little Gem' at the Bush Theatre. It's a play about Dubliners, a Dublin family in fact and the playwright really got it spot on. The accents, yes, but also all the 'Dublinese', all those witty and sometimes outrageous things that Dubliners say. Nowhere on earth can you find the same turn of phrase and the same level of constant cursing! Lots of 'spaz' and 'hungas' and 'Jaaysus..'

The play is very funny but also very moving. In fact, we found it a bit close to the bone towards the end. If you ever see it, you'll know why, but I won't spoil it for you. Private tears were shed and hands were clasped in the darkness of the theatre. So it's sad, too, but it's not dreary.


We met the cast afterwards and two of them are from Dublin. Anita Reeves is from Terenure, in fact (my neck of the woods). We really enjoyed the night, so thank you Dympna, for arranging the tickets. I must share one line in the play with you. It really tickled me. One of the characters, after an 'episode' in work, is sent by her employers to see a counsellor - or what she calls 'a head doctor'. The counsellor suggests that she does one nice thing for herself in the coming week. She manages to attempt one thing and at her next appointment, her counsellor rewards her by telling her to do two nice things for herself the following week.


"F*** her! Now I've somethin' else to worry abou'!" Love it.

Donna was here today. Hospice Nurse. We're getting to know her, and she's getting to know us - and if I haven't said it before, she's been really helpful. Roch gets on well with her and he trusts her I think. That's important. Tomorrow we go to the Hospice to attend a meeting for parents. They are having an Open Day in July and you never know, the children might come. I think Roch would like them to come along. But if they don't want to - well, you can't force these things. I'm not sure if they're ready. The idea is that they don't just associate the Hospice with death. It's also a peaceful place and a place of respite, where there is support for families as well as help for patients - all along the way. Anyway, the meeting is for parents in advance of the Open Day, as I say. Let's see how it goes. I'll let you know.