Lydia Arlett MacLean _ born 26/1/1919

My Mum would have celebrated her 96th birthday today . Here she is with John and Kirsty my lovely wee children now so grown up.

She was a kind, good and loving Mum who thought of us all continually and I know worried a lot too about the problems in our lives. When my marriage broke up, she and my Dad suffered a great deal of distress and I am sure she felt my distress and the consequences for my children very deeply.

Although her life experience was very different from mine which often resulted in fluctuating quality of communication between us, she always kept trying to understand and contribute positively in our lives.

As she grew older , her very narrow fundamentalist religious life did grow into a more accepting approach to spirituality and we were able to find more common ground.

She loved me and I loved her .
I am very, very grateful for the growth of my understanding of her life which has continued in the years since she died.

And now , having raged against the similarities between us when I was young and struggling with my own identity , I recognise her in me and wish I could have shared more with her .

Blessings on my Mum and 'thankyous' I wish she could hear.