My mum passed away on Monday March 20th 2017 in the care home where she had lived for the past four years and four months.
She was born on the 26th December 1921 weighing 2lbs, She had four children me being the last. She had pneumonia whilst having me and she remembers two doctors standing by her oxygen tent saying "We can save the baby but not the mother" her thoughts were "I'm not dying I have four children to look after and lots more things I want to achieve".
She continued to have numerous jobs and loved working, she was head cook at a primary school and a bra making factory, bought two shops and worked seven days a week from 6am to 6pm until she sold them and bought her first home at the age of 57. When she didn't work she did all the fund raising for her doctors surgery and organised parties for old people older than herself!
My mum loved sewing and made all her own clothes such as tailored suits, she told me that her mum used to make quilts, something I didn't know.
My mum was fiercely independent, rubbish at buying presents, and in later years said exactly what she thought, the last two made for entertaining times.
Not long after my dad died she sold her bungalow and moved into a private apartment where she felt safe. At age 90 she had a stroke that wiped everything from her mind (mostly). As a result she was unable to look after herself, so we moved her to a care home where they looked after her well.
Those last four plus years was not the mum I knew, she had lost her spirit and was content to sit with people her own age and smiled and mainly said the word 'lovely', a blessing for those that looked after her but for me, not so good. She did briefly come back as the old mum on the odd occasion and I'm sure would have caused havoc if it had lasted, she would have escaped out of the building somehow and been off looking for the nearest travel agent!
So It's my turn to make a quilt for me and my sister, it will be a challenge for all sorts of reasons and I'm not sure where pink, mauve, blue and lavender will fit into my home!
I will now have more understanding of all my clients that send me their clothes and will look at the quilt and remember all sorts of times good and bad.
Happy Mothers Day Mum, I hope you are on your first holiday in your new life somewhere by the sea with lots of flowers, a cup of tea and a pink wafer biscuit.