Mummy

It was on Bank Holiday Monday six years ago that my mother had a severe stroke. She was 85, healthy, fit and strong for a woman of those years. She never recovered - she was completely paralysed down the right hand side of her body, she couldn't speak, eat or move to any great degree. A fighter all her life, this was the one battle she lost and she died a month later with complications arising from the stroke and her reduced capacity to fight off infection.

She was the most wonderful woman and I am so proud that she was my mother. I loved seeing her with children, especially small infants and babies because she was just so warm and knew exactly what it was that they needed. Hugely generous, it was always a source of chagrin to her that she never was a woman of funds, but I think that what she gave was more important than mere money. I miss her and would give everything I possess and will accrue just to have one minute with her - even if it were just to be able to dial up the old phone number and simply hear her say 'hello'.

Night night mummy. I'll see you in the morning.