Bereft

My dear Auntie Glen passed away on Sunday 6th June after the second of two long battles with cancer.
It's not a cliche to say she was my inspiration. Hard working, naturally beautiful but also perfectly groomed and fashionably turned out at all times. Well read, intelligent, interesting and open minded, she taught me it was okay to be me from an early age - when being me wasn´t always being encouraged elsewhere.
Yep, she was as neurotic as the day is long and kind of fragile at times. Nobody can hold up the whole world on their own all the time. She was also very openly affectionate. Auntie Glen made you feel loved when you were hugged. And I loved to hug those bony shoulders and that bumpy chest.

She was a true light in my life. And I miss her so much.

When you live on the other side of the world from so many of the people that you love, you learn to take comfort in the fact that they are just "there" ready to be seen whenever you can get back to see them.
Or "there" at the end of a phone or email whenever you might take the time to pick up and call, or write.

Life gets in the way. You don't pick up the phone, you don't send an email, you don´t manage to extract yourself from your responsibilities and get up there to see them face to face.
And then suddenly you find yourself struggling for the words to write on a long overdue card.

It´s not enough. And then it's too late.

With the funeral and all my family on the other side of the world still, it's hard to find the centre of the loss. I feel a bit like when my Liam is looking for me and he keeps saying "Where´s Mummy?- She's missing!"

Except Glen isn't upstairs, or at work, or out with her friends. She´s gone and I won't ever see her again.

My sincere love and condolences to her children; my cool cousins' Liane and Mark. Her grandchildren, all my sisters, And to my Mum; her sister.



Bill and I will miss you Auntie Glen. xx