Happy birthday Mum

So today is Ruth’s birthday.

As the years pass since she left us I’ve tried to remember stories and share them with the kids and my sister. I’ve had a lot of time with CU-1 recently as she’s been stuck in a hospital bed so I’ve been asking her what she remembers about Ruth. We’ve been going through folders of old photographs and this is one moment CU-1 remembers.

In this picture we’re at Tim and Rebecca’s place in the Pyrennees and it’s the day after CU-1’s 5th birthday. She remembers the birthday activities well (following a string around the garden, presents, strawberry cream cake etc.) but has only fragments of memories of Ruth.

She remembers what Ruth’s blue top felt like, it was warm and fleecy and felt nice:-)

She remembers that Ruth didn’t have a broken foot or scary injuries.

Most of the memories CU-1 brings up in conversation involve Ruth having difficult injuries starting with the time her foot was run over. In this memory Ruth is relaxed and enjoying time off in the sun with her grandkids. Next year I’ll have to get my sister and her two daughters involved and we can see if there are other fragments and stories to tell (the girls were almost ten years older than CU-1 so will have more memories of being with Ruth, not least as they lived with Jed and Ruth for a while when their parents were sorting out a flat in London.

Happy birthday Mum:-)