Chris Thompson   Chris Thompson on the internet

I usually like to scan the news on Friday to see if there is anything interesting to write about, but this Friday I ended up heading to Colchester for my friend’s birthday, playing drinking games, and sleeping on someone’s sofa. It was a fantastic time; like being a student all over again, but I’ve had to delay Friday’s news stories until today. Already, there are quite a few that seem interesting, too.

You will notice that there is a theme to these pieces, although the two of them are still very different. The theme that they share, though, is motherhood: they are both slices of what makes the bond between mother and child unique and magical.

A heart-warming story, to begin, I feel. A story about a mother, who has woken from a coma after hearing her baby’s voice. Quite moving, no? But then, what about this: a newborn baby fell through the toilet of a train, landed on the tracks, and survived. The mother promptly jumped out of the window (people thought that she was committing suicide, and I suppose that would be my initial reaction, too), but it later turned out that she had pulled a James Bond move and rescued her baby.

On one hand, we have the power of voice; the power of that connection between mother and child. And on the other, that connection, that bond, is demonstrated in incredible fashion. Perhaps they should consider moving mother’s day?