The legend that is Toni…

My days working as a Supply Teacher first brought me to a little village school where I was warmly welcomed by the staff and children. I became a regular at the school and grew to know everyone well. Toni and I shared the same daft sense of humour and could be in tears laughing at the smallest of things. We lost touch for a little while, when I left teaching, but found each other through the miracle of Facebook.

It was during this first message that Toni told me about what had happened since we had last seen each other and her journey through cancer. We, then ironically, bumped into each other at the Doctor’s and shared a mini catch up and brief hug at the reception desk. It was like we’d only just been giggling at something in school just the day before (mainly Toni’s attempts to burn down the school with the laminator)!

I don’t think Toni and I are in each other’s lives by chance. We are so alike – we’ve both been through tough times and both, still, struggle in ways but we both maintain humour throughout everything and face every battle with inner strength and determination. This was evident during our jaunts to Preston for Toni’s radiotherapy. Despite what Toni was going through and the scary experience of the whole process we both laughed and cried (sometimes crying laughing) throughout it all. It was over the free coffee in the waiting area that we shared our backgrounds and discovered how similar we were. We also relished the Peter Kay style cameo appearances of the “dinner ladies” as Toni christened the kind volunteers at the café. True Northern grit and determination was played out behind that very counter and Toni and I were a more than willing audience to Audrey’s demonstration of the proper way to use a mop – “you go to and fro, Edith, to and fro!” These moments made the whole surreal experience a, weirdly, positive time.

I have been lucky enough to meet and fall in love with Hector the gorgeous monster of a hound and have been to baby sit him whilst Toni couldn’t wait to get her knickers off for a photo shoot! This is someone else’s story to share! I had to move house and was at a personally challenging time in my life and Toni was the first one to offer help (even that of her Husband). Although we don’t constantly message or see each other I’d like to think that Toni and I would both agree that we will always be there for each other and will always be in each other’s corner whatever happens. I am blessed to have the legend that is Toni in my life!