One Last Day of Change….

Determined not to be left out from our 2007 ‘Year of Change’ New Years Eve sprung one final surprise on us. The Baldy Boy’s Nan passed away yesterday afternoon, peacefully at the age of 93.

We all knew her as ‘Mickey’, though I can’t say I knew her very well. It wasn’t long after I became a reasonably permanent fixture in the Baldy Boy’s family that Mickey began to get very frail and dementia slowly began to take her mind. I have heard many stories about her though. Of how she was a shrewd business woman, investing in the property market and shares and enjoying every minute of it. Of how musical she was, playing the violin with great skill and dedication. Of how fiercely protective she was of her family, demanding nothing but the best….

On this last point I do have some personal experience. I met Mickey for only the second time one Christmas and in between food and chat and presents she managed to corner me, alone, in the kitchen. She wasn’t at all backwards in coming forwards and telling me that I needed to marry her grandson or get out of his life. I will admit that at the time I was dumb founded, slightly offended and pretty scared of this pocket rocket of a matriarch!

Oddly enough, despite never having plans to actually get ‘married’ we ended up doing just that a little over a year later but by then Mickey’s mind had started slipping and her recent memory lapsed… so much so that when the Baldy Boy took her out to the movies she had no memory of us being married and would always ask him when he was going to ‘find a nice girl and settle down?’ even if I was sitting next to him!

Looking back now I admire her fierce and fiery love for her grandson. I hope I can live up to her expectations and love him just as much.