As a parent of three wonderful children, I wish now that I had thought of asking Mum the simplest of questions before she died almost five years ago. You see, Mum started life in an orphanage in Bangalore, south India, before she went to St Mary's Convent in Poona, (now Pune) in the west of the country.
The English nuns there took her under their wing and Mum never returned to the orphanage. The boarding school was her home. When the other kids went home for their holidays, Mum had nowhere to go. I once asked her, after I became a father for the first time, if she missed not having a family while she was a child.
She just looked at me with those gentle eyes and said: ``I did have a family. The nuns were my family.''
But there was one more question I should have asked her, before Alzheimer's started destroying that amazing brain and eroding that astounding intellect. The question was so simple. I should have asked her how old she was when she received her first present - and if she remembered what it was.
For someone who had so little when she was growing up, she gave us so much. Us, our sons; and hundreds of other children who were not related to her. So, so much. So much understanding. And oh, so much love.
For more details, see We Bring Ye Gifts.
5 comments:
Allow me the privilege of being the FIRST to comment.
Loved (not a 'butch' enough word, but you get the point) all the entries so far, and absolutely ROTFLMAO about the 'moving' experience your Dad was subjected to by your Mum!
I have a couple of 'design' observations, but I shall email them separately.
So easily people blame their childhood for all the ill's in their life. Not her, God rest her soul. A positive and remarkable lady, you must feel truly blessed.
This is a wonderful endeavour which you and your siblings have begun - a beautiful tribute to her, and I look forward to following the journey that's begun..
El Tel,
Thank you for being the first person to comment.
Got your email - thank you very much for your continued support and help. Much appreciated.
It took me a couple of minutes to work out the acronym! Nice one.
My parents would have liked the acronym, too!
Cheers
David
Hi Shrink,
Thanks for your sensitive observations.
Like I said in one of the many eulogies by family members at Mum's funeral, she had a childhood that could have triggered a lot of problems in most people later in life. But she just moved on, acknowledged the love and care of the nuns - and then gave us (and many, many other children) more love and care than we possibly deserved.
Thanks for droppping by.
David
David (and the clan),
I don't know if you are picking up comments on this now or not. I didn't go to bed yet (but not far off - it's 3am here!)
I decided to nosey in your blogroll and was fascinated to come across this - just wanted to tell you that this is such a lovely way to remember your mum and dad. It shines through how special they were and the bond between the brothers is cemented through their love for eachother and you.
You wrote such lovely comments to me on my post about my mum and on my son's poem to me - he was delighted you had written to him - very thoughtful of you.
You clearly loved your mum and she was clearly a strong, sensitive and wise woman. You were blessed and still are as she lives on through you.
This only gives us a brief glimpse and I haven't read it all yet. But thanks for sharing this. I do love authorblog and just was curious to find out a bit more about what inspires the man behind it all.
Now I know. :0)
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