Tag: marriage

Goodbye to an angel

by communicatingcreatively, posted in Stories From Life

It’s been a phenomenally sad last few days as, and our Family’s collective Hearts are aching at present as, in the early hours of the morning on 24 November 2021 our beloved Mum, Iris passed away, having just turned 91 on the 15 November 2021.

Mum was born on 15 November 1930 and grew up in the Depression years, was 15 when World War II finished, married Dad on 8 December 1951 and had five children, losing two of them as infants. There would be no greater pain, I think for a parent to lose one of their children, alone, let alone two. So much to go through yet they did get through all that and provided a wonderful home for their children. Dad passed away on 16 January 2015. They had been married for 63 years.

They have two great-grandchildren and sadly, Mum has passed away without seeing her first great, great-grandchild who was due to arrive on 21 November 2021 but was late as, at date the birth has not happened yet.

Mum was shining light in our Family, and as a long-time (54 years) best friend of mine said the other day, he always thought of Mum as an Angel. I can think of no better way to describe Mum.

Rest In Peace Mum, you certainly deserve to.

With all our Love,

David, Susan and Family

27 November 2021

Aged 12
Aged 19
Aged 21
1951
With Cheryl
Aged 45
Aged 66
Aged 70
60 Wedding Anniversary Celebration with Larry, Cheryl and myself

An Unexpected Experience

by communicatingcreatively, posted in Stories From Life

Last night, my wife, Susan & I attended the ‘Youth Solutions Winter Wonderland Charity Ball.’ Youth Solutions is a is a youth drug & alcohol prevention and health promotion charity, working with young people in Macarthur and Wingecarribee areas SW of Sydney, Australia.

As with any such event as this, there was entertainment, a Soloist and a ‘groovy’ Rock ’n’ Roll band and they took it in turns to serenade and have the ‘joint jumping.’

As the Entree was being served, youth & young adult dancers from a local dance studio, ‘De Hall Dance’ took to the floor and over the following 20 minutes or so championed the activity of Ballroom dancing and also danced to some more modern moves. (20 years ago I had attended two Beginner dancing programs at the studio and the dancers brought back some great memories).

As I sat and watched the dancers seemingly glide around the floor, thoughts came to my mind about Dad (who passed away in January this year, aged 85). Dad loved to dance and could dance well, particularly in his younger days. Mum loved to dance as well.

Indeed, Mum and Dad met at a dance hall in their early 20’s c1950. They (particularly Dad) had expressed to us all what fun the dance halls were back then. Stories of great times with friends, laughter and of course, lots of dancing.

I began to see a young Mum & Dad dancing on the floor last night, and as I imagined this, tears formed in my eyes (like is happening again now…).

We cannot feel what they felt as they danced together with love blooming all those years ago but it was enough to carry them through 63 years of Marriage, 5 children and 2 grand-children.

“And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon.”
— Edward Lear

Yes indeed.

Written by David Johnson
26 July 2015

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Dad & Mum 8 December 1951