Helen Cleverdon Gray

When I was a kid you were so much fun, teaching me to go stilts, keeping a cupboard stocked with Cremola Foam and Tunnocks Snowballs, hosting family parties, walking us along the railway line to the park, having us to stay by ourselves and getting us a bus pass, letting us play with your ornaments and dress up in your clothes....
When I was a teenager you used to come and stay and drive us crazy tidying up, but doing all our laundry, giving us cash, knitted me a fabulous Gollywog jumper, letting us come to Aberdeen with our friends and stay with you....
When I was in my 20's you let me come and live with you when I left Uni, then visited me in various dingy flats, were proud of our achievements,welcomed Floss as one of our own, fed us and looked after us when we visited.....
When I was in my 30's you bussed it out to look after me when I was struggling after having Elizabeth, you showered my girls with love, you let me look after you when you were poorly, you passed on your clootie dumpling recipe and bag to me......
Moving into my 40's you hated being unable to walk and unable to stay in your own home, but you loved us visiting and always had a smile for my girls....
It was so hard to say goodbye to you today and to put into words how much you meant to me. If I can live showing a fraction of your strength, sense of family, moral code and generosity of spirit I will be lucky.