Wholy Souly

The Thomas Dress

Imogen never had a new dress until her brother died. She was five years old and, although she had plenty of pretty clothes, she’d never had a dress chosen especially for her,

Leo, Augustine and Theodore

He arrived in the centre of a funeral wreath and I didn’t like him. He was blue, soft and fluffy, and any child would have adored him. But my child was dead.

Part of Me

My mother likes to tell the story of how, at the age of two, I threw a monumental tantrum. She isolated me in my bedroom, which I then promptly destroyed. Whenever this

A Thrill of Excitement

I heard the other day that a friend is expecting twins. How special. Not a lot of people get to experience the delights of having two babies at once, maybe two babies

How Many Children Do You Have? (Part 1)

One question I always have trouble answering is “How many children do you have?” My tongue stumbles over the words as I try to decide whether to reply “five” or “six”. Do

Perfection

A few days before Thomas was born, I visited the needlework shop. I wanted something to keep me busy during a prolonged stay in hospital. Well, I hoped I was going to

The Gift

I travelled to the hospital, my mind full of thoughts: I’m meeting Andy at the park. The kids can play on the swings with him while I’m busy. How long will the