Thorns of a Rose

Let me introduce you to Sharon Rose.  We knew each other nearly two decades ago when I was an office worker at Tamworth Health Centre doing lots of administration jobs for all the Community Nurses, Health Visitors and School Nurses of the town.  I loved that job.  I was there for 9 years, which was a long time for me as I liked to move jobs frequently.  Every home visit by the Health Visitors and Nurses had to be documented so the ladies (and one chap) would religiously fill in forms detailing by codes what they had done each day.  One of my jobs was to input this data onto computer.  It was mind numbing but my colleague and I were very proficient at it.  Another part of my job was to order uniforms for the nurses - green dresses for auxiliaries, light blue for registered nurses, dark blue for sisters.  I loved it when, after I had ordered these the nurses came to fetch them.  We would chat and perhaps have a cuppa and laugh.  Sharon worked at the Albert Road Surgery in town.  There were several other GP practises in and around THC as I affectionately called my place of work.

Life took me to pastures new and I lost touch with all those lovely people.  Then, recently at a Tamworth Literary Festival event, a voice attracted my attention, "Don't I know you?" and we reconnected.  Two days later we met again. This time I knew it was Fate that had bought us together for another season.  Sharon gave me her books to read and this blog is a short review of those books. 

 

You see after I read them I thought Sharon had written about her life in these books, not only as a therapeutic process for herself, but to share with others and to help others with the Thorns of Life.

When we have a bunch of roses, we tend to stare at the flower as a thing of beauty, which it is.  Its colour and petals are a feast for our eyes, its perfume an aroma for our nose, the green stem and leaves remind us that life is renewable in ways we can't comprehend until we are faced with life or/and death situations.   If we look closer, and if we are not careful, we will notice the thorns, which we probably think aren't so attractive but nevertheless they are part and parcel of the lovely flower.

 

 

In her books Sharon has shown her stem, her leaves and foliage, and the thorns that have caused her pain - breast cancer, relationship breakups, family troubles and tragedy.  Despite life's difficulties she shines through the flower that she is as a positive, fun loving, sassy, lively lady.  Each book sold raises money for different charities even though Sharon gave up her precious job of nursing when life went pear shaped.  I can't recommend these books highly enough, especially if you have known grief and loss, if you have cared for a friend or relative with breast cancer or known it yourself, if you have overcome difficult growing up years where mental illness of a parent was an acceptable norm, or have known someone who took their own life - then these little books will be a treasure on your bookshelves.  You wont forget Sharon Rose - she will encourage you, entertain you, make you smile and touch your heart.

 

"Don't just see the person before you as one human being; each person has their own story to tell.  We are all beautiful flowers clothed with layers of life". Sue Flint