Vila i fred Mamma / RIP Mum 💔

The post no one wants to write. But writing is one of many forms of therapy for me. And I've been wanting to pay tribute to my mum the same way I did to my dad after he passed away last year. But it's not been easy… As the initial shock is slowly settling, so many memories resurface. My mum was intellectually brilliant, one of the smartest people I know and I remember referring to her as my walking encyclopaedia when growing up. She loved music and played the piano and sang in a choir when she was younger. Every time she visited me in London (which was frequently for many years before she more recently lost a lot of her mobility) we would see a musical or show together. I recall watching We Will Rock You many years ago and immediately going to buy Queen's Greatest Hits album for her and singing many of their songs for days afterwards. Or when we watched Il Divo at the Royal Albert Hall and were in awe of their beautiful harmonies. My mum also enjoyed travelling, trying new foods (she loved Thai and Indian) and exploring different cultures. She visited me in Australia, Argentina and Tanzania while I was living in those countries and we also did several trips to the Middle East and north Africa together. I still recall her shock at my haggling with a taxi driver to take us back to our riad when we were lost in a maze in Marrakech or while buying dresses from a passing boat while on a cruise on the Nile in Egypt. I have no way of re-telling these stories in the way they were experienced but afterwards we had a really good laugh at my crazy antics, cheek and risk-taking behaviour. She had a great sense of humour even though it was sometimes hidden from view. Despite several shared interests, my mum and I were polar opposites in many ways: her on the autistic spectrum and me with my hyperactive ADHD. She was always kind, calm, generous and patient and she truly adored babies and young children. Although she was a great problem-solver when it came to mathematical problems or cooking & baking, she didn’t always apply the same methods to her own health but she had good genes and I’m grateful that she lived to be 79. I’m also glad that I have hundreds if not thousands of photos and photo albums to remember her by, from our many experiences together, despite living in different countries for so long, to many special moments of her with my daughters, Amelia and Freya. Keep playing the piano in heaven mum and baking our favourite ’hälsobröd’ - I miss you more than you’ll ever know ❤️ Caroline