Mother and Son

 

One of my favourite photos of Andy, with my curly girls doing a pile on! He’s such a brilliant Grandpa! 

Last Sunday we had a phone call. Andy’s mum, Ruth, had suffered a massive stroke and was unconscious in hospital. On Monday, Andy travelled two hours to be with her. It wasn’t good news. He sat with her and, in his words, chatted rubbish, hoping she could hear him. And then he drove two hours home. And then, the same evening he travelled two hours back again, because he didn’t want her to be on her own. He sat at her bedside, reading to her from a novel she had just started because he thought she would like to hear how it finished. 

On Tuesday morning, Ruth passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, having never regained consciousness. 

And I’d like to say thank you to Ruth, my mother-in-law for almost 20 years, for bringing into the world such a kind, gentle, clever yet modest, generous and big-hearted man, who will do anything for anyone, who is mostly a big kid at heart, and who is loved by everyone he meets because he is such an amazing human being. 

So ‘Thank you, Ruth, for giving to the world your son Andy. I hope you are having a bloomin’ good rest now, after a life well lived. Bless you - with love.’