Mum, How Proud You Would Be
Without Prejudice
15.07.2012
How proud you would be that we all made it. If we all sat at a table you could go around that table and see how we all are. We learned the lessons that you taught us and your heart would beat with pride that we are all there to honour you and Dad.
At the head of the table would be Ian, who fought for this country called Australia but thought Vietnam was so very wrong. So terribly wrong to be there and visit the orphanages and cry for the little kids with flies in their eyes. He loves his kids and grand kids and has many and you would love them all. He is still a bloody genius and is a kind, loving honourable Man.
We would lay a place for Jamie of course to honour him and his writing and his jokes and his wide open freckled face. Gone but not forgotten. R.I.P. James Stuart. They organised a proper headstone for him Mum, the brothers and the sisters. He was there right behind Debbie when she went to the cemetery to look for him for me.
She had thought it impossible when she went to the old cemetery in Port Augusta. An old cemetery, an old part of it covered in grass and weeds, but as she felt exasperated she turned around and he was right there. Waiting, silently sleeping for all time. Just an iron cross bowed and broken, rusted over the years. His name so faint she could barely make it out. Someone had written in black texta, R.I.P. Jamie.
And how I cried when I saw the photos she took, it all came flooding back and I had been only 5. after forty years of bottled up feelings and I copied it and sent it to the wealthier ones and asked,
"Is this the best we can do for our Brother ?"
Dad was making his way there when he took ill and only got as far as Darwin on his round Australia trip, his last. Well, that's what he said, sometimes Dad just said things for the effect.
But Jackie took up the call and had a beautiful headstone made for Jamie and did us all proud and I love her for that. It must have been a nightmare journey but she did it. And then she found out your beloved grand daughter Lauren had died on the same day, the exact same day, what are the odds in that ????
Jackie is so very well and happy these days. A great wife and Mother and grandmother, she worries too much about others, but that's Jackie.
George is there, seated at the table and he turned out just fine, Mum. He is the big businessman and a loving, kind and understanding human being. No longer the bad tempered little sod he was when young. Your blue eyed boy did good Mum. You always called him that and he turned out a great and loving man.
Then there is me, a writer now, a Mother, a Grandmother and a great grandmother, and still in my 50's. I always was meant to be a child bearer. And not always just of my kids but others too. You would be proud I went back to school at 32 and did my Form 6 and now write full time. I followed your lead Mum and have never looked back.
David is there, Neversweat, your sweet gentle and placid baby, only 18 months when Jamie died. He;s a Captain of Industry now and not the rebellious teen anymore. He is a lovely man that inspires others and that is what you would want. He is also a kind and honest man as we all are, we learned the lessons from Dad in that way and went the other way ( because he could be dishonest )and for that you would be proud of us, just in that alone.
Helen is there, she's a Nurse Manager and you would be so proud of her. She went from chubby child to svelte adult and I know you wouldn't care what she was physically as long as she was happy. She has four boys and is about to be a grandmother to a little girl. How strange life is in giving us the things that we didn't have on the first go round. She had 4 boys and soon a little girl and I had 4 girls and have more boy grand kids than girls, mainly as Yvette has 7.
You always said Mum that
"Kids, I would have a dozen!"
Count up the kids, grand kids and great grand child and you certainly have more than that.
You taught us to be brave and ambitious and competitive. To take no shit when shit was dumped on us. You taught us to be proud and unafraid of others opinions.
You have a namesake, Natalie Bruckshaw, she is the epitome of you in style. elegance and beauty. She is also creative as you were with your words, your genius lies in Jamie, George's son, Your grandson. Your determination in Debbie, My child and Tracey Jackie's daughter. Kirsty too. All the kids, your grand kids and your great grand kids have more than a little of you in all of them. Yvette's famous rebelliousness, Alena's luck and love of kids, Melissa the same, Scott in the army, the list goes on and on and on, you have a dynasty Mum.
And that is exactly as it should be, so I say
"Hooray"
as that was a greeting that you loved, derived from the Maori Culture, ( Yes, we have a few of those too in this large and delightful family that you gave birth to ) and we thank you every day in every way for everything we are ............
We all wish that you and Dad were here, of course we do.
Betty, your Sister is almost 91 and we all adore her. Love her as we loved you. Our Beautiful stylish, never say die Mother. Our RAF, War time serving, British Mum.
We did you proud.
Love you Mum xoxoxox
15.07.2012
How proud you would be that we all made it. If we all sat at a table you could go around that table and see how we all are. We learned the lessons that you taught us and your heart would beat with pride that we are all there to honour you and Dad.
At the head of the table would be Ian, who fought for this country called Australia but thought Vietnam was so very wrong. So terribly wrong to be there and visit the orphanages and cry for the little kids with flies in their eyes. He loves his kids and grand kids and has many and you would love them all. He is still a bloody genius and is a kind, loving honourable Man.
We would lay a place for Jamie of course to honour him and his writing and his jokes and his wide open freckled face. Gone but not forgotten. R.I.P. James Stuart. They organised a proper headstone for him Mum, the brothers and the sisters. He was there right behind Debbie when she went to the cemetery to look for him for me.
She had thought it impossible when she went to the old cemetery in Port Augusta. An old cemetery, an old part of it covered in grass and weeds, but as she felt exasperated she turned around and he was right there. Waiting, silently sleeping for all time. Just an iron cross bowed and broken, rusted over the years. His name so faint she could barely make it out. Someone had written in black texta, R.I.P. Jamie.
And how I cried when I saw the photos she took, it all came flooding back and I had been only 5. after forty years of bottled up feelings and I copied it and sent it to the wealthier ones and asked,
"Is this the best we can do for our Brother ?"
Dad was making his way there when he took ill and only got as far as Darwin on his round Australia trip, his last. Well, that's what he said, sometimes Dad just said things for the effect.
But Jackie took up the call and had a beautiful headstone made for Jamie and did us all proud and I love her for that. It must have been a nightmare journey but she did it. And then she found out your beloved grand daughter Lauren had died on the same day, the exact same day, what are the odds in that ????
Jackie is so very well and happy these days. A great wife and Mother and grandmother, she worries too much about others, but that's Jackie.
George is there, seated at the table and he turned out just fine, Mum. He is the big businessman and a loving, kind and understanding human being. No longer the bad tempered little sod he was when young. Your blue eyed boy did good Mum. You always called him that and he turned out a great and loving man.
Then there is me, a writer now, a Mother, a Grandmother and a great grandmother, and still in my 50's. I always was meant to be a child bearer. And not always just of my kids but others too. You would be proud I went back to school at 32 and did my Form 6 and now write full time. I followed your lead Mum and have never looked back.
David is there, Neversweat, your sweet gentle and placid baby, only 18 months when Jamie died. He;s a Captain of Industry now and not the rebellious teen anymore. He is a lovely man that inspires others and that is what you would want. He is also a kind and honest man as we all are, we learned the lessons from Dad in that way and went the other way ( because he could be dishonest )and for that you would be proud of us, just in that alone.
Helen is there, she's a Nurse Manager and you would be so proud of her. She went from chubby child to svelte adult and I know you wouldn't care what she was physically as long as she was happy. She has four boys and is about to be a grandmother to a little girl. How strange life is in giving us the things that we didn't have on the first go round. She had 4 boys and soon a little girl and I had 4 girls and have more boy grand kids than girls, mainly as Yvette has 7.
You always said Mum that
"Kids, I would have a dozen!"
Count up the kids, grand kids and great grand child and you certainly have more than that.
You taught us to be brave and ambitious and competitive. To take no shit when shit was dumped on us. You taught us to be proud and unafraid of others opinions.
You have a namesake, Natalie Bruckshaw, she is the epitome of you in style. elegance and beauty. She is also creative as you were with your words, your genius lies in Jamie, George's son, Your grandson. Your determination in Debbie, My child and Tracey Jackie's daughter. Kirsty too. All the kids, your grand kids and your great grand kids have more than a little of you in all of them. Yvette's famous rebelliousness, Alena's luck and love of kids, Melissa the same, Scott in the army, the list goes on and on and on, you have a dynasty Mum.
And that is exactly as it should be, so I say
"Hooray"
as that was a greeting that you loved, derived from the Maori Culture, ( Yes, we have a few of those too in this large and delightful family that you gave birth to ) and we thank you every day in every way for everything we are ............
We all wish that you and Dad were here, of course we do.
Betty, your Sister is almost 91 and we all adore her. Love her as we loved you. Our Beautiful stylish, never say die Mother. Our RAF, War time serving, British Mum.
We did you proud.
Love you Mum xoxoxox
