Page 29 - She's One Crazy Lady!

a lot of talking, a lot of listening, and a lot of comforting hugs with people who I probably never saw again.
Mum was the ‘rock’ behind the family business and worked so, so hard to bring us all up, run the house, work full-time, and keep the accounts in order to live up to Dad’s expectations – for he was a taskmaster! She couldn’t have had much time to herself, but rarely did she complain. It wasn’t perhaps until we were all older that we really acknowledged and appreciated just how hard Mum worked.
Mum
How do I describe Mum? Undoubtedly my very best
and truest friend and confidante from the minute I was
born. When I hear of people who say they didn’t have,
or don’t have, a good relationship with their Mum,
it saddens me, but I understand there can be many
reasons as to why. I was lucky. I can honestly say we
never had a cross word – ever. Mum may have been
exasperated with me at times, but we would always
end up laughing. We shared a love of classical music,
knitting, cooking, gardening, embroidery, reading –
the list is endless, apart from sport. With Dad being a
keen golfer, Mum was almost forced to take up golf
and play a round, or two, or three with him and Dad
insisted I had golf lessons. Golf really wasn’t for me
and definitely not for Mum! Dad then suggested we
make up a foursome with him and my then brother-
in-law, Dave. We dreaded it because we knew Dad
was so serious and there was a certain etiquette to be
followed on the golf course. The match progressed
and Mum’s ball found itself in a bunker – a bunker
with high sides. She eventually got her ball out but
had problems in getting out herself. It was hilarious.
Dad and Dave had moved on to the next hole so I
quickly told Mum to hang on to one of my clubs and, still laughing, I pulled her out, damaging the side of the bunker, which we hurriedly tried to repair with our feet. Not the right thing to do as we were seen and reported! Oh, the shame! Dad was furious with us.
We didn’t play again!
Mum possessed a wonderful sense of humour, a trait she kept until the day she died. She was a wonderful role model and a true people’s person; I never heard her say a bad word about anyone. Being the youngest of the four, and all living under different circumstances and situations as we grew up, I was lucky to have a lot of 1:1 time with her, although Mum loved us all equally and loved all her family unconditionally.
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