Death only comes after a good life. Today we say goodbye to a beautiful soul my Sister Linda.
To me, Sue and Penny she was Sis and I was Linda's Bro. We shared a wonderful loving family life together growing up. Linda was the 3rd born out of 4 of us kids.
Being there however, she found herself in the middle of a load of trouble. As kids we played together every day. Most days I would find Linda and Penny playing princesses, with some article of clothing on their heads representing long flowing hair. I would be the evil dragon Master, they would become my horses and we'd run around in this imaginary world. Then I would wind them up, be told to go away, and leave us alone. followed by Linda shouting Muuuum or Daaad! Which she did a lot.
As young kids up we had fun together, played games with each other, we also bickered, through darts at each other,fought with each other, loved each other.
It wasn't all fun like that growing up but I am surprised we all got through it in one piece.
We laughed and we cried together. We were all very close. We grew up in hard times, different times, but that made us who we are and the Linda we know who she was. Out of that grew a strong loving family bond that kept us all together later in life.
We grew up with song in the house all the time. Linda was always singing and dancing or annoyingly playing twinkle twinkle little star on her recorder she got from school. We would have family concerts in the front living room putting on shows and singing and dancing with mum and dad watching laughing clapping and suplirting. We listened to music on the radio and watched Top of the Pops on the telly together every week. As teenagers we all grew up with the music of the 80's and Linda loved that. She was all out for having fun.
We had a loving family upbringing. We talked our problems through with each other, we sang together, we danced together. We celebrated every success we each had. We loved and supported each other and fought for each other as a family.
To Dad and Mum Linda was a loving daughter with a pure heart of gold. They had a wonderful relationship felt supported and loved by Linda.
To Simon a wife, and a life spent in love together, always looking out for each other. Linda was Simon's soul mate, a fierce supporter, a source of guiding strength and an unshakable deep forever love. With whom in the words of one of Linda's favourite songs - they had the time of their lives.
To Shannon and Megan Linda was a timeless modern Mum who gave them limitless love, shared a thousand belly laughs, was a source of guiding common sense and unwavering support for their problems. She taught them to be strong, to have fun, live life to the full, to dance as though no one was watching. She taught them the importance of family to be there for each other, to work hard and fight for what they believe in. Just as she did. She was so very proud to see them grow into beautiful individual women of strength, and personality and who she saw as both carrying her tender loving heart.
We are truly blessed that we see Linda there behind Shannon and Megan's smiles, their laugher, their sense of humour, we see Linda's gentle footprints in the beauty of their soul, in them we still get to see Linda every day.
To Violet and Romy Linda was their mama, a Grandmother who poured love on them, laughed and played with them, spent personal time together with them, taught them to be kind, good and nice too each other and was there for them. Not a day went by without them in her thoughts. They made her smile so much every day and lifted her heart with love every moment she spent with them.
I loved Linda for who she was, the kid growing up, the life she built for herself and the wonderful woman she became. I Ioved her for how hard she fought to succeed in life, the loving relationship with Simon and the beautiful family she has left us with.
I seek some comfort today knowing that the very last thing she heard me say to her was. I love you Sis.
She was then and is now surrounded by those who love her the most. Her Mum her Dad her husband, daughters, grandadaughters and all her friends and colleagues.
Soon we will all gather to say one last thank you for who Linda was and what she leaves us with. We will say goodbye to that beautiful soul knowing that while she was around us. We all had the time of our lives.
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