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My Mum, who never gives up

My Mum

By Julia SmethurstPublished 4 years ago 3 min read
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I’m writing on behalf of my mum, Julia. I’m using her iPad. I’m sorry. I have her password. She tells me everything. I wanted to tell you a story. When I was born (see above), my Mum gave up her career. She was a Director of Advertising for Hearst UK. But, being married to an ‘Airline Training Captain’ she realised that I needed her constant love, as I had no one to care for me if she wasn’t there. She gave up everything. She loved me so much that nothing else mattered to her. My father was gone a lot. He travelled all around the world and she figured there would be no one there for me. So, she gave me her all. She left her career and is always struggling to find money from the allowance my father gives her. But she doesn’t care. She gives me her best effort, and last pence. In fact, she’s broke. But it doesn’t matter. I never had a school event that she didn’t go to. I always looked to see someone there, and there she was....always smiling and waving me on. Throughout my years at school, I ended up going through a very difficult time. I was bullied about my weight. I was harassed when I came out as Gay. My Mum was always there to protect me, encourage me, and love me. I remember her response to my sexuality; she said, ‘it doesn’t matter who you love, or how you love, as long as you love...if you accept that, I’m always so proud of you’ and I thought back to when I tried to commit suicide and realised, I wanted to live. I fought through my time at school with the message my Mum always told me: Always do what you love, believe your life is precious....and no matter what you choose, I believe in you. Your choices are my choices...because I trust in your heart.’

Throughout our life together, I learned of her childhood. She was emotionally abused for years....her father left her, and her family fell apart. She lived on the streets by 15, quit school because she couldn’t think about studying. She developed an eating disorder, but somehow believed she’d survive. She told me one day that ‘she knows what it’s like to be hungry’. She at 16 lived in her car.

When she came to England to marry, she decided that when she left her career, that she would like to return to school. I taught her about Maths, Polictics, how to vote, etc. I thought since my father and mother were paying my school fees, I could give my Mum all she never had. But in the end, she’s completed two Masters degree’s and five years of her PhD.

She always wanted to do a sport. But she had two back surgeries and was temporarily paralysed. But she fought to walk again, and got through it. She never had the chance to do sport. But at 43, she took up diving. Today, she’s won Gold medals at the Dutch and British Master Championships, and is now attempting to compete at the worlds, at 54! She never gives up.

She has also written rhyme since she was a child. And guess what? She’s now a published author in the US. She also helps art students in CUBA. She takes donations but also her own money to bring art supplies to poor children in HAVANA. NO ONE ASKED HER TO DO THIS!

I think back to when I was about 5 years old. She’d lead me out onto the streets to feed the homeless, to give. I’ve never seen anyone who’d stop to help someone in need. She’ll give her last pound for anyone.

I love her so much. She never gave up on me. She would die for me and I’m alive because of her. Through it all, this amazing woman keeps going. I love her so much and wish the world would hear and see all she’s done.

Thank you. I hope she isn’t mad at me using her iPad.

Adam Hugh Christopher Smethurst

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