This is not a best of the year with salt

I usually like to post an end of year round up, I usually enjoy pondering on what were my years highlights, it's a fun thing to do. This year I couldn't think of any "best" at all. Matt's death has cast a shadow over everything. In a what the fuck truth telling mood I don't mind sharing the fact that just beneath my surface, for the last year, there have been tears and loss and sadness. There has been Matt; his illness, his death.

Matt and I were friends for over twenty years. He wasn't perfect, neither am I. In fact I believe neither of us would want me to be overly sentimental just because he is dead. He drove me nuts at times, and in the 20 plus years we shared, we rowed, and bitched, and pissed each other off loads of times. We also created a shared history, layers between us, short hand. We watched each other grow, learn, evolve from kids to adults, and in the last years of his life (and if only I had known, god, how much more of an effort would I have made) he became my best male friend. It takes years to build the friendship we had. It was rare, unique, unlikely, wonderful. He was different from anyone else I have ever met. He was a stubborn genius, a musical giant, and an amazing, non-judgmental, supportive chum.

So, I was thinking about all of that, whilst I sat in a big bubbly bath, sipping champagne that my husband poured for me. Then I came and checked my emails. My twins had been on the pc, and their msn pages were still open. They are 10 years old and their pals have status's that read like "Chelsea till I die" "Zac Efron is well fit" "2 weeks till diznee land". Ted's update reads "Love u mum, ur the best" and Dylan's reads "I love my mum 2000000000 times to the moon and back." Gulp.

Downstairs Simon is preparing New Years Eve dinner for us. He bought all my favourite things to eat, plus delicious champagne. Matt once said that he thought Si loved me so much he'd move planets to please me. If I sound like I'm showing off, well I am. It's important that this year isn't just about loss. It's also about how my beautiful boys (Hubby and sons) have supported me and surrounded me with love. It's about the friendship I had with Matt, the memories that I can dip into, and cherish. It's about the friends I am blessed with, and the new friends I made this year too.

Thanks to the writers at the Fiction Workhouse and Zoetrope for sharing and caring. Thanks to my facebook pals (to all who slag off facebook, I am delighted that it enables me to chat with writing pals in India, America, France, U.S, and even Brighton!) Thanks to all who read this blog and comment and stop me feeling alone. Thanks to Tania for being lovely. Thanks to Jo for getting me up on a stage this year! Thanks to Lane for LitCamp and encouragement. Thanks to Rachel for Cella's. Thanks to Sean for being my coolest commenter! Thanks to Kellie for being ace. Thanks to Lisa for everything always. Thanks to Mima for all the listening. Thanks to Si for my whole life. Thanks to you all for reading. I'm allowed to be soppy, it's New Years Eve!

Happy 2009 to all.

XXX