Brenda was born in Canada, but has lived here most of her life. You know the latter as soon as she speaks, she has a thick Geordie accent. She sits next to me at the sewing group and for many weeks insisted on making my coffee.
Then she wasn't there for a quite a while. About this time last year her husband was diagnosed with lung cancer. Brian died a few months ago.
So perhaps the wish for a happy birthday is fairly futile. On the other hand she's pretty tough and pragmatic.
She just shrugged her shoulders one of the first Tuesday's after the funeral. She said, "What can you do? You just have to get on with it." I think these ladies can teach me a lot besides crafting and sewing.
It's nice having her back with us.
2 comments:
That is just a beautiful card.
I am so sorry about her husband's death... I am not sure I'd be so blase about it.
FB: Glad you liked the card. It was sad about Brian's death. I don't think Brenda is blase at all, but she is a working class woman from the North of England. I don't think they cry as easily as I do -- I leak easily and often. Or at least they don't do it in public. I attended Brian's funeral and though I never met the man I was quietly flooding. Margaret looked at me and said, "You're going to have to toughen up, you." That's just how they are; not uncaring, just more private. I started to say less demonstrative, but I can think of lots of little things they do for me and each other that demonstrate a lot of affection.
I would hate for my poor writing to convey Brenda as uncaring.
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