"Guess what?"

You said when you rang this morning.

Me: Silence - as ten thousand thoughts rushed through my mind about what the 'what' could be. I've had many of those sorts of conversations with you that start out like that and they always leave me holding my breath for 30 seconds at least. "What?"

You: "I think I've caught something from that football player ____ _______, you know, the one who has been in the papers."

Me: Silence - as a few thoughts now rushed through my mind about what that something could be. "What?"

You: "Well, I've been feeling sick and I think I've got it. I work with his brother's girlfriend and they've both got it and now everyone else who knows them might have to go into quarantine for 72 hours."

Me: "What for?"

You: "Swine Flu".

Me: "Ohhhh, that's a relief. I thought you were going to tell me something way worse than that."

I've learnt over the years that this 'guess what' business is all relative. Swine Flu? Nah, that's no bother.

Now, on the other hand, when you rang to tell me that you,

• had brought home a homeless boy from the Middle East to live with us,


• had just stopped a guy from stealing your car (even though he was already in it at the time),


• were in London, it was 2am in the morning and a man walking in front of you had slipped on ice, hit his head, there was a lot of blood, you thought he was dead, there wasn't a soul around and you didn't know the emergency number,


• had just split up from your American boyfriend and the only thing you wanted to do was hire a car and drive over the Golden Gate Bridge (I thought you meant over it not across it and never slept all night), or


• were in Europe, very, very sick, all alone, with no-one around you who could speak English and you didn't know the German word for Doctor, oh and I could go on.....

well, those things really were a bother.

I love you for truly living life the way you should, even if it has added a few more grey hairs to my head.

Mum xx