‘When we think of the past, it’s the beautiful things we pick out. We want to believe it was all like that.’ That’s one view of memory from one of my favourite writers – Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid’s Tale). Another view is this, from American novelist Cormac McCarthy (All the Pretty Horses): ‘Scars have the strange power to remind us that our past is real.’

Well, perhaps both are true. Certainly, looking back in December on the year past, I can hardly believe the ‘scars’ revealed by some of my diary entries. Thankfully, the details seem to come from another world – one we currently don’t inhabit. We began 2013 with John about to embark on the most important stage of treatment for the myeloma cancer he was diagnosed with in March 2012. We finish 2013 with John having been off treatment for several months and in partial remission.

We don’t want this annual letter to be a medical report, but can’t ignore the fact that John’s cancer treatment has been the year’s most dominant feature. After months of chemotherapy last year, John was facing stem cell transplant – the only currently known way of achieving remission from myeloma – starting in January 2013.

As it turned out, January’s attempt at harvesting cells from the bone marrow for transplant failed. It was a miserable time. We spent successive early mornings on the road to Leicester Royal Infirmary for the injections to stimulate cell production – all to no effect. John was then given some weeks off treatment and we managed three days away in the Peak District – bitterly cold, but it was wonderful to have a break. Then at the beginning of March a second attempt at stem cell harvest was made – and was successful!

That success – of course – had its downside. The next four weeks in hospital were absolutely dreadful, a totally low time – there’s no way of

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disguising that. John was in near-isolation as his immune system had been completely knocked out. From then until the end of June it was a very slow road back to some kind of stability – only to be told then that the transplant had not worked. Another dreadfully low point. John needed to regain his strength to start a different chemo regime. Then some readings from blood test in early July appeared contradictory, and John was given more time off treatment. And by the end of July our roller-coaster journey was heading in a new direction. We were told that the myeloma had reduced after all, meaning that John was in partial remission. Wonderful! We left the hospital that day in something of a daze.

So as 2013 closes, that’s were we still are. John continues in remission, with regular blood tests and monitoring. Since August, he has been able to return gradually to some of his ‘normal’ activities. It’s

been a joy for him to return to singing with the Harborough Singers and to take up badminton again. He’s been elected church treasurer, which keeps him pretty busy. He’s tackled one small project on publishing training for previous employer United Bible Societies. And there are a constant stream of volunteer desk-top publishing projects for him to do.

A family picnic on a sunny day in July at Anglesey Abbey

Among the good memories of the year are some very happy family days – especially one very hot sunny day in July at Anglesey Abbey and another on a boat trip to Foxton Locks in August.

Our lovely family are a source of great happiness. Joanna and Geoff pursue demanding but fulfilling and creative careers from their home in Cambridge – Joanna at the university, Geoff in the realm of music. Jonathan is doing a PhD in mental health, and Emma has now returned to part-time physiotherapy after maternity leave. This year they renovated and moved into the family home on the edge of Coventry built by Emma’s grandfather. Their children – Lily (7), Mia (5) and James (16 months) – are so precious to us, and we love being grandparents.

As for me, I’m still writing a couple of days a week with Torch Trust, a Christian charity for people with sight loss, and recently took on the editorship of their quarterly supporter magazine, relinquishing the radio work I’ve been doing for several years to another staff member. This year I’ve also enjoyed running a book group in our home.

We send this letter with much appreciation for all the support we’ve been given by so many this year. Your messages, cards and phone calls are part of the memory of 2013 that we hope we’ll never forget – they really gave us strength in the hard times.

Throughout the year we have felt that our faith and confidence in God has not been diminished by events but strengthened through them. We end with a quotation from a meditation by Cardinal Newman that a friend sent to us and which has been particularly meaningful: ‘If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him; in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him; if I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about.’

We wish you all a very happy Christmas. May your dreams for 2014 come true!

John and Lin 21 Summers Way, Market Harborough, LE16 9QE

01858 434609