This weekend we have spent some time with an amazing lady, I like to think of her as our family’s fairy godmother for her kindness to our children and the friendship she gives both Mr S and I.  She is an incredible person and with her determination and hard work she is now the owner of a very successful business and helps to sponsor a school in Africa for which she does not simply provide financial help but has been out to give hands on practical support. I am in awe of her and can’t believe we’re lucky enough to call her a friend.  The children were keen this weekend to find out how we became friends as our lifestyles are so different and simply it comes down to a little act of kindness from which a friendship blossomed.

We first met at Melbourne airport after arriving on a flight from London in December 2006.  I don’t travel well and had spent the previous 12 hours sleeping and vomiting violently so was not in the best state to make a new friend, all I wanted to do was collapse in my hotel bed.  We were all on a cricket tour to watch the Ashes in Melbourne and Sydney and ended up getting a taxi together to the city centre.  It was on the journey that we discovered that she was travelling alone as the husband of the couple she had booked to travel with had suffered a serious heart attack days before (happy ending, he survived and we met him at cricket games in the future) I knew how I would feel about arriving in a new country and the prospect of a holiday alone, so we all agreed to meet up for the Christmas day dinner, its so much easier to go to something when you know that there will be a friendly face there.  In the meantime, we had a day to get over our jet lag and as we were staying in different hotels I managed to get a message via the rep to make sure she was ok.  We all met as planned for lunch and had one of the best Christmas days, we got on so well and as she now had two spare tickets for the very best seats in the ground, we took up her kind offer of joining her at the match.  Whilst we had tickets, we got the rep to sell these so her friends could get a little compensation for missing the match.  We had such a good time at the cricket with our friend and others in our group and we would meet up in the evenings for drinks and dinner, it was just a lovely relaxed time.  Mr S enjoyed her company for her cricket knowledge, humour and general loveliness and I found a friend to chat all things girlie with and a companion to come to the theatre with, one of my personal highlights on the tour was a brilliant night out at Priscilla with her whilst Mr S played at the casino. It was a fantastic holiday and we all agreed to meet up at home.

The friendship did continue when we returned home, via email, phone calls and visits.  Our friend loved to come down to the seaside (she has only recently moved to Brighton) and we would visit her too.  We shared a number of hobbies, so during the years, we would meet up to watch England cricket games together, to run races and simply enjoy each others’ company.  Over the years we’ve got to know each others friends and families too.  Its always been lovely to spend time with each other and its a friendship where the three of us are close.  She was a reference for our adoption application for the way in which she knew us as a couple and has always been supportive.  Since the children have arrived she has been generous, kind and thoughtful to them and she has reassured, counselled and supported us, she is a magical person.

Our weekend in Brighton has just reminded me of what a beautiful person our friend is in our lives and also what a super stylish and accomplished woman she is, a role model to us all.  She is the friend you can’t believe is your friend and I only hope we give to her some of what she gives to us.  Its crazy to think that a little act of kindness has led to such an important friendship.