March 2nd

"When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child."
Sophia Loren

Mum

Aunty Glad

Nan

A Mothering Sunday photo taken today.

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A bit of a different one from me today.

Mother's Day has always been a day of mixed feelings for me.

My Mum died when I was 5 years old and I was sent to live

with an Aunt and Uncle in Devon leaving my brother and

sister to live in London with my Mum's mum.

Although she was not my Mum, I certainly came to love

my aunt like a mum, even secretly calling her Mum when

no one could hear me just to see how the word

sounded coming from my lips.

Unfortunately she died of breast cancer

when I was 10 years old. I was totally devastated.

My other Nan, who was a widow, lived nearby so I went to live with her.

She was a wonderful lady and when I think back she

was very brave to take on the responsibilty of a 10 year old girl.

I know that at times I gave her grief especially as teenage

girl growing up in the 60's.

However, when I was 16 she died and I went through many

months of total depression. Another aunt who had her own family

allowed me to stay with them, nonetheless, she was my cousin's mum and not mine.

How sweet life was when I met and married Colin when I was 19.

We had our darling daughter Susannah 2 years later followed by

her adorable sister Julie just over 2 years later.

Mothering Sunday became something totally different to me.

I could say the word Mum or Mummy as often as I liked and

it was not strange or odd to do so!

How lucky am I now to still have two daughters who love me

to bits and a son in law who I think of as my own son.

Not to mention the light of all our lives my darling granddaughter

Abbie.