Families

My mother was a strong woman and a matriarch in our family. Her wish was that all of her daughter's would always there for each other and that they would always have each other's backs.  When I was looking after her Mum used to ask me if my sisters looked after me like that too. Ofcourse at this stage Mum was suffering from dementia. She herself was an only child and I am sure that she would have loved to have a sibling. It is so sad when you hear about siblings 'ganging up' against one of the siblings. I have always believed that blood is thicker than water but unfortunately this does not seem to always be the case. Nurture family relationships as they are important. This is especially important when there is an elderly parent or other family member in care. Naturally due to various circumstances (such as work commitments or geographical locations) one of the siblings will be the main carer. Be kind to this person, support them and remember how they are taking the main load of everyone's responsibility. One of the groups I go to for carers have spoken about how some of them feel isolated due to feeling 'on the outer' by their siblings. It is really important for everyone to work together so they can achieve the best quality of life for their loved one.

I know Mum would have been thrilled to know that two of her grandchildren were there for the celebration of her life. One of her grandchildren also put a lovely tribute to her on her Facebook page.  That would have meant a lot to Mum to know how these two felt about her.