‘Schools out’ – well Primary School is out for our wee Cup George!! From the moment he stepped into school his journey of education has faced obstacles, opportunities and openings which even I as an adult have yet to face !! Two weeks into his school journey his Dishwashing dad had a brain tumour removed…two years into his school journey his daddy was diagnosed with cancer…three years into his school journey he was diagnosed with dyslexia and four years into his school journey his daddy died…YET…

…today at his final leavers assembly a confident, happy and creative young lad listened to the praise from his teacher Mrs McKeown and headmistress Mrs Read about his remarkable personality, and how brave he has been, and how funny he is… especially as he stood resplendent in my high heels and his sisters trousers and jumper…(he was dressed as Mrs Matthews).

I was a waterfall of tears and have been at the thought of today…Why?

Today we do move forward as a family…Gary was so much a part of our time there (he was a classroom assistant) and his spirit for George and me still surrounds the school …but what the school years of Primary have shown me is the power of friendship, nurturing and love…

I couldn’t have got through the school years without friends who gave lifts…friends who waited when I didn’t turn up due to unexpected hospital visits and brought the Cups to their homes, friends who did homework and teachers who nurtured in their classrooms as they educated my Cups!

As I took the final walk up the hill to do the final pick up I only went half way up and hugged Mrs Wright, we cried and we remembered, she thanked me, I thanked her and she said ‘you know when break and lunch times are Tracey’ – as I remained halfway up or halfway down I looked up, hugged George as he met me with tears…I said a wee word to Dishwashing dad and we headed to the car…

Yesterday in the car one of the Cups said to me ‘mum I’m so happy’, I smiled it’s been a very tough few years but today as the sun shone, my eyes did cry but my heart is feeling warmth again and my Cups are radiating…. thank – you to my Irvinestown Primary School Village Xox