The day she left me, the day she went away is a day I will never forget, for not only have I lived that day once before, lived that moment once before, I am destined to do so once again though not quite in the same manner as I did that first time round. We have all the time in the world or so we are told but what if we can control the time we have, or the time someone else has? Where would it lead us? Where could it take us? But when things are all pre-determined, do we really have any choice in anything that any of us do?

We sometimes live in a circle and sometimes sayings can take on a new meaning like when it is said 'what goes around comes around', indeed it does.

I was just nine years old when I lost my mother to an illness, an illness which tore through her in a matter of only a few weeks. I remember sitting on a chair in a hospital corridor waiting to go say my goodbye to my mum when a man came to sit next to me.

'How are you holding up?' he asked me as if he knew why I was sitting where I was at that particular moment in time.

'I am alright' I remember responding to this man while trying to sit still and also trying to get a better look at the man sitting next to me.

'You know it is alright not to be alright, right?'

'Sure', I didn't know why back then but for some reason I felt perfectly at home talking to someone who seemingly out of nowhere just came and sat next to me. 'It's my mum; she is not doing so well.'

'I know kid. We all only get one mom, and it is not an easy situation you are in. It is difficult for anyone at any age to have to say goodbye to a parent but being as young as you are, well that is just extra hard.'

'I am doing OK though. I have to be Ok.'

'It is also OK to let to your feelings out. The anger, the sadness, you may feel alone right now but you're not. You will have your bad days, so will your dad. Never forget that he will always be there for you, and he will need you to be there for him too.'

'I will do my best', I couldn't help but let a tear or two escape my eyes.

'You know, I lost my mum when I was about your age ...' he says putting a reassuring arm around my shoulder.

'... You did?'

'Yes. And I turned out alright wouldn't you say.'

What he had just said made me smile for a moment. He did seem like a nice guy. My father came out of my mother's hospital room, and he stopped a few feet away before speaking my name. It was time to go in to see her, my mum for the last time. I stood and gave my visitor a hug.

'Go on in champ', he said giving me a pat on the back.

My mum watched me come in the room. I paused for a moment which seemed like ages but was not actually long at all. She held out a hand toward me. I moved quickly, took her hand, gave her a hug then a kiss on her cheek. I told her I loved her, and she told me the same. She told me of how proud she was of me.

I don't really remember much about anything right after that but that was then, and this is now. I have just become a father for the first time. My beautiful wife has given birth to a more than healthy baby boy, equally beautiful in his own right.

I now stand in a hospital corridor, and I can see a familiar young boy sitting alone not all that far away. He has a lot on his mind. I so happen to know he does. I move towards him and sit next to him ...