31 Comments
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Tan's avatar
Mar 20Edited

Oh my, this was beautiful. The other day I read an article about empty nesters and burst into tears. My kids are only 5 and 7 years old.

This article made those feelings well up again.

Well done Annie, and I'm glad to hear your son is OK.

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Annie Macmanus's avatar

thanks Tan. the irony that all I do is stress about time passing yet it's my kid who is making me slow down and engage with things is not lost on me..

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Aoife Carrigy's avatar

This is beautifully captured Annie, with so much just barely said, yet recognisable ❤️ That MRI noise is so savage and scary, especially for young or vulnerable ears (like my mum with dementia who found it very frightening).

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Annie Macmanus's avatar

oh your poor mum Aoife! thanks for reading xx

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Joanna Rosenwold's avatar

In agreement to all the above. Beautiful in its simplicity of the things we go through and do with our children and daily life. Hopefully not a regular occurrence with your son, but one to remember indeed. Don’t normally comment on things (a quiet observer), but I spent hours for years in hospital with my son. Despite not wanting him to be there, it was quality time too, sharing sarnies, listening to music (he DJ’d) and talking about the stuff that day to day life often doesn’t allow time for! Your words took me back there and I thank you for that. It’s easy to forget the small, quality moments in the mundane. Including the walk through the graveyard - a poignant ending to the bigger picture. More of the same please x

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Alexandra Lawrence's avatar

This is a beautiful piece of writing though I’m sorry you and your boy had to go through the MRI. The walk through the graveyard was so moving, I felt like I was right there. Thank you for sharing it and sending healing energy to your son

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Annie Macmanus's avatar

thanks so much Alexandra thanks for reading

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sam baker's avatar

Ugh Annie. Poor wee thing (and poor you) MRI scans are grim. Sending love

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Annie Macmanus's avatar

thanks Sam xx

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Emma Ryalls's avatar

I felt like I was there with you! Incredible writing

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Hazel McGinnes's avatar

This was a beautiful piece of writing. Your observations remind me how ow precious the mundanity of life is.

I am not meaning the MRI is mundane, that is a very scary thing for a parent and child. I hope all's well. ❤️

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Annie Macmanus's avatar

thanks so much Hazel. I'm glad I wrote it down otherwise that walk through the graveyard would be lost in my terrible memory x

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Noreen ODonnell's avatar

You are such an artist with words Annie...cocktail of emotions embracing the past, present and future all in one day. Carpe Diem !

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Annie Macmanus's avatar

thanks so much Noreen 😭

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India's avatar

Annie this is so very beautiful. Thank you!

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Yvonne Grace's avatar

Your boy sounds like an old soul, is that something people say outside of Ireland too or no? I dunno. Hugs x

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Annie Macmanus's avatar

yes he very much is Yvonne. Very interested in the existential.

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Emma Aveyard's avatar

I loved reading this Annie, beautifully written.

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Annie Macmanus's avatar

thanks so much Emma

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Hannah Lingard's avatar

Oh Annie. I loved this, made me feel a lot of things! My son has to have regular MRIs - but he's young enough that he's not yet had one awake. This year we will try it but he also hates the cannula for the contrast agent so I think it will be a challenge, even before we think about the being closed in and the noise. Well done to you and your boy for getting through it. And thank you for capturing in this piece the bittersweet feeling of parenting and watching them grow and having to let go a little bit more all the time. Terrifying and beautiful.

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Annie Macmanus's avatar

thats it in a nutshell Hannah - terrifying and beautiful. thank god we've got words to try and make sense of these feelings!

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Susan Ring's avatar

Beautifully written.

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Cheryl Gill's avatar

A gorgeous piece and reminder to be present, take it all in

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Vicki Sunderland's avatar

Big love Annie. Glad your son is and will be fine. Such an evocative snapshot of a day.

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Michelle's avatar

Gorgeous piece Annie.

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