Here is my brief (or maybe not so brief) outline of the 26years I got to share with you.
If Mummy had a fault, it was for being TOO caring. You compressed more into 56yrs than most do in a 1/4 of that time.
Just how do you say goodbye to your best friend? You don't, you say au revoir 'until we meet again' - you were always teaching me little things like that....
Apparently when you complained about me having such a strong will from a young age you were told "well if you teach your child to think, what did you expect!"
In many ways Mummy has been a pioneer for women in rural areas, namely Mildura & the Riverland & Mallee. What I mean is, can you recall any other woman in the Riverland who changed careers mid life from being a mental health & registered nurse in (2 or was it 3 states?), to being a rural financial counsellor in a very culturally diverse region. Who can count the amount of actual jobs that entailed? counsellor, finance wizard, social security guru & a religious diplomat just to name a few
She held down a full time job, furthered her training & education, dropped everything when I was ill, had another child, made ALL our clothes, maintained numerous friendships, became a Justice of the Peace, (advanced?) a double diploma in Horticulture & encouraged many woman into the work force or to re-train & excel in their previous careers after having kids . She taught James & I to cook & cook well. She rarely if ever took a sick day or any annual leave for herself, opting to save them up so she could take time off when I was in hospital. To quote one doctor "you were in & out of here like a yo-yo".
I remember she used a week of leave to go to Sydney to undertake a special week long course so she could help James with his dyslexia. This meant he did not have to be held back a year in primary school - how many mothers do you know who did something like that? This is just another example of many.
As most of you know I have, to this day, many health issues, starting with a birth defect which even today still only has a 2-3% survival rate. Rather than move to Adelaide where she could have gotten assistance with home care, she opted to be the earth mother she had planned to be whilst pregnant. By this I mean she did hours of research, utilised her nursing training & amazing cooking skills to cater to my multiple food allergies (no allergen warnings or bold print back then!)
I'd now like to make a few thankyous. Firstly a special thanks to Brian & Cheryl for dropping what they were doing & getting me through the first 48hours of hell.
Most of us moan & groan over small town politics & the gossip it can create, but in times of crises familiar faces were a help rather than a hindrance & on that note I'd like to thank the SASS & CFS for their help, twice, in 24hrs.
My thanks also to my Aunt Aleksandra & Uncle Adam for their part in everything. Adam & his partner Lisa for looking after my brother James & Eunjeong when they got to Adelaide. They were all then able to lend support to Mum's soul mate, David, who is still in the Royal Adelaide.
Thanks to my brother James, I know we haven't always had the easiest of relationships, but it's reassuring to know I can count on you when I really needed to.
To Dianne & Mark Morgan & their family for holding my hands, guiding, counselling, feeding, chauffeuring & the much needed cuddles over a 10 day period.
Mark is a very patient man who bit his tongue & allowed Dianne to care for me above & beyond the call of duty. I can only describe her as proof that angel's come in mortal form & walk on this earth.
Finally to thank the wonder woman who brought us here today to this time in our lives - to most of you she was Sara, for me she has been Mum, Mummy, Mumzie, Mumzilla &, on occasion, "you bitch!"
As I scrawl this in our favourite pencil for doing the That's Life Puzzles on your old rural counselling stationery (you lived up to your childhood nickname of Squirrel right to the end) I remember the good times & the one's I cringe to recall.
You taught me many things in life, life skills, but most importantly; morals & ethics.
You didn't give your true love & time to anyone who did not deserve it. To those you did give your heart to, such as your soul mate David, myself & James, you did with your whole heart.
I don't resent you for leaving me @ the time & way you had to, possibly because you have already taught me the skills of life - mental & physical.
Even on my most horrid days, you were eventually able to sooth me in your ample chest, with gentle words & gentle hands. I recall one night when we were up in the early hours talking, after I had had a horrid day medical wise, when you mentioned that someone had admonished you for putting up with my behaviour. You kindly & patiently explained to me that they didn't understand my asthma, allergies, eczema & the hole in my diaphragm when I was born & the challenges they threw me each & every day.
You explained that if I was missing an arm or a leg it would be obvious, but as most of it is hidden, they would never understand - best described by the Swordfish movie quote "what the eyes see & the ears hear, the mind believes". You finished with telling me whilst you did not always love my behaviour, you never stopped loving me as your child. I think that is the true measure of a mother's love for their child.
I thank her for sharing with me just some of that amazing mind & for actually telling me how proud she was of me, to me. It meant the world.
Love you Mummy.
If Mummy had a fault, it was for being TOO caring. You compressed more into 56yrs than most do in a 1/4 of that time.
Just how do you say goodbye to your best friend? You don't, you say au revoir 'until we meet again' - you were always teaching me little things like that....
Apparently when you complained about me having such a strong will from a young age you were told "well if you teach your child to think, what did you expect!"
In many ways Mummy has been a pioneer for women in rural areas, namely Mildura & the Riverland & Mallee. What I mean is, can you recall any other woman in the Riverland who changed careers mid life from being a mental health & registered nurse in (2 or was it 3 states?), to being a rural financial counsellor in a very culturally diverse region. Who can count the amount of actual jobs that entailed? counsellor, finance wizard, social security guru & a religious diplomat just to name a few
She held down a full time job, furthered her training & education, dropped everything when I was ill, had another child, made ALL our clothes, maintained numerous friendships, became a Justice of the Peace, (advanced?) a double diploma in Horticulture & encouraged many woman into the work force or to re-train & excel in their previous careers after having kids . She taught James & I to cook & cook well. She rarely if ever took a sick day or any annual leave for herself, opting to save them up so she could take time off when I was in hospital. To quote one doctor "you were in & out of here like a yo-yo".
I remember she used a week of leave to go to Sydney to undertake a special week long course so she could help James with his dyslexia. This meant he did not have to be held back a year in primary school - how many mothers do you know who did something like that? This is just another example of many.
As most of you know I have, to this day, many health issues, starting with a birth defect which even today still only has a 2-3% survival rate. Rather than move to Adelaide where she could have gotten assistance with home care, she opted to be the earth mother she had planned to be whilst pregnant. By this I mean she did hours of research, utilised her nursing training & amazing cooking skills to cater to my multiple food allergies (no allergen warnings or bold print back then!)
I'd now like to make a few thankyous. Firstly a special thanks to Brian & Cheryl for dropping what they were doing & getting me through the first 48hours of hell.
Most of us moan & groan over small town politics & the gossip it can create, but in times of crises familiar faces were a help rather than a hindrance & on that note I'd like to thank the SASS & CFS for their help, twice, in 24hrs.
My thanks also to my Aunt Aleksandra & Uncle Adam for their part in everything. Adam & his partner Lisa for looking after my brother James & Eunjeong when they got to Adelaide. They were all then able to lend support to Mum's soul mate, David, who is still in the Royal Adelaide.
Thanks to my brother James, I know we haven't always had the easiest of relationships, but it's reassuring to know I can count on you when I really needed to.
To Dianne & Mark Morgan & their family for holding my hands, guiding, counselling, feeding, chauffeuring & the much needed cuddles over a 10 day period.
Mark is a very patient man who bit his tongue & allowed Dianne to care for me above & beyond the call of duty. I can only describe her as proof that angel's come in mortal form & walk on this earth.
Finally to thank the wonder woman who brought us here today to this time in our lives - to most of you she was Sara, for me she has been Mum, Mummy, Mumzie, Mumzilla &, on occasion, "you bitch!"
As I scrawl this in our favourite pencil for doing the That's Life Puzzles on your old rural counselling stationery (you lived up to your childhood nickname of Squirrel right to the end) I remember the good times & the one's I cringe to recall.
You taught me many things in life, life skills, but most importantly; morals & ethics.
You didn't give your true love & time to anyone who did not deserve it. To those you did give your heart to, such as your soul mate David, myself & James, you did with your whole heart.
I don't resent you for leaving me @ the time & way you had to, possibly because you have already taught me the skills of life - mental & physical.
Even on my most horrid days, you were eventually able to sooth me in your ample chest, with gentle words & gentle hands. I recall one night when we were up in the early hours talking, after I had had a horrid day medical wise, when you mentioned that someone had admonished you for putting up with my behaviour. You kindly & patiently explained to me that they didn't understand my asthma, allergies, eczema & the hole in my diaphragm when I was born & the challenges they threw me each & every day.
You explained that if I was missing an arm or a leg it would be obvious, but as most of it is hidden, they would never understand - best described by the Swordfish movie quote "what the eyes see & the ears hear, the mind believes". You finished with telling me whilst you did not always love my behaviour, you never stopped loving me as your child. I think that is the true measure of a mother's love for their child.
I thank her for sharing with me just some of that amazing mind & for actually telling me how proud she was of me, to me. It meant the world.
Love you Mummy.
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