I have been fortunate enough to receive some really lovely, thoughtful birthday gifts from family and friends. But somehow Sam (son no. 2) always has a knack of finding something simple that hits the spot and makes me smile... after he got over his "all girls like candles" phase that is! This year as well as some special bath goodies... "all girls like bath bombs" : )... he bought me a bag of banana toffee. I admit that it is not the most conventional of birthday gifts... but there is a story. Are you sitting comfortably?
Many years ago when I was just a small girl in primary school in Bury St. Edmunds, there was a little boy named Stephen. I remember him as a tiny boy with blond hair although what was most memorable about him was that Stephen had a withered arm - the result of an accident when he was a toddler, although that is not really relevant to the story. One morning break, Stephen said or did something unkind that made me cry... I can't remember what... probably just something silly. Stephen used to go home for his lunch and when he came back after lunch he had brought me a single wrapped banana toffee to say sorry for making me cry. And I've always remembered that toffee and how it felt like such a lovely thing for him to do.
Stephen disappeared from our school without explaination very soon after and there were awful stories spread about him dying because he drank bleach. I really hope they were just rumours and that somewhere there is a man called Stephen who remembers nearly fifty years ago giving a dark haired little girl a banana toffee. Isn't it funny the impact some people have on our lives and the things that stay with us. It made me realise the importance of being able to say sorry...
and gave me a life long love of banana toffee!
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