Happy Friday Lovely People,

On Monday the 13th October, I heard this very moving poem on Radio 5 Live by Bob Lowe, a 93 year old widower from Hampshire who lost his wife to Alzheimer's 3 year ago after 65 years of marriage. His story and the love and sadness in his voice when he read his poem was so incredibly moving that I was almost in tears.

Bob shared his first kiss with his wife 75 years ago and since then their relationship has seen Bob fighting in WWII, their marriage in 1946 and the birth of their 3 children. Now Bob lives alone with his wife's ashes by his side after her request to 'stay by his side forever, even after death.'

Bob is a supporter of The Silver Line, a charity setup to support elderly people who may be suffering from loneliness. He read the poem in the hope to inspire other pensioners to overcome loneliness, to create awareness of the charity and to encourage people to volunteer.

I wanted to share this poem with you all today for two reasons:

One - because of the growing number of elderly people in the UK, especially men, who have lost their husband or wife and are suffering from acute loneliness. There might be someone you know, maybe a grandparent or a neighbour, who could really benefit from the support of The Silver Line so if you do, please let them know.

Two - because I believe that the love between two people can so easily be taken for granted and sometimes we all need to be reminded just how lucky we are to a) love and b) to be loved in return. It's a very special thing.

So if you are married, engaged, in a relationship or even burrowing a love for a person that you have not yet told - tell them you love them today because they may need to hear it more than you realise.

Enjoy this very special poem...

I am alone, now I know it's true
There was a time when we were two
Those were the days when we would chat
Doing little jobs of this and that
We'd go to the shops and select our meals
But now I'm alone I know how it feels
To try and cook or have meals on wheels
The rooms are empty there's not a sound
Sometimes I'm lost and wander round
To look for jobs that I can do
To bring back the days when we were two
When darkness falls and curtains drawn
That's when I feel most forlorn
But I must be honest and tell the truth
I'm not quite alone and here's the proof
Because beside me in her chair
She quietly waits our time to share
Kath said to me some time ago
Darling when the time comes for us to go
Let's mix our ashes and be together
So we can snuggle up for ever and ever.

Have a lovely weekend peeps.

Big Friday Love,

Laura xxx