Mother's Day

My mother lives in Australia so for her today is not Mother's Day as it is normally celebrated on the second Sunday of the month, the same as in Hungary, I think, which is where we are all from.  I rang her anyway, for my benefit, because she won't remember the phone call after a few minutes anyway, she has Alzheimer's. 

When she went to Australia in the early seventies on a ten pound package, I know it is unbelievable to think that you could go to Australia for ten pounds, my first born son was just six months old.  I was very young and thought that she would come back, not just because of me, or even just because of my son, but because all her Hungarian friends were here, as well.  But she didn't.  In fact she didn't return to England for fourteen years, by which time I had had my second child, a daughter.

My sister, half-sister really, but I think of her as my sister was eight years old when she went to Australia, and now she came back as a grown up woman.  A complete stranger really.  When she was little I used to look after her a lot, so much so, that my Mum's best friend, Anna, could not believe how much responsibility my Mum gave me.  I used to take her out for walks, change her, bathe her and as she got older, feed her as well.  I was ten and a half years old when my sister was born.  I loved looking after her and a couple of children that Mum looked after too!

Today I was telling Mum we were all fine, two or three times, that SJ had won a trampoline competition and that her sister, my Godmother, who still lives in Hungary had had a fall.  Mum might remember some of this, for instance, when I said that SJ had won, she said again?  So she remembered that from last October, or maybe it is the newspaper cut outs that I sent her?  Who knows? 

I just have to keep on sending photos and any other snippets so that she remembers we are still here and that we still remember her.

Happy Mother's Day Mum!  I love you......xx