Today My friend Debbie has sadly passed away . She was only a couple of years older than me and I still cannot believe that someone so young and full of life could of been taken . Debbie was an amazing person a true inspiration to everyone she met.
I first met Debbie in 1984 when I was a young mum having just moved to Haverhill in Suffolk. The first afternoon we met we talked and talked about life, kids and motherhood. Debbies two odler boys Ben and Barney were at school but there was lots of fun and games with Sam and Saul. We laughed so much and became firm friends right away. From then on I was a frequent visitor to Debbies and she often cooked me and Zac tea , saying another two people wouldnt make any difference.
Saturday afternoons were often spent with Debbies husband Martin driving us from one jumble sale to another and coming home loaded with bags and bags of clothes and toys for the children. We even all got into Martins VW camper van one saturday and drove down to Surrey for a Jumble Sale. How mad was that. There was by then Debbies six children and myself and Zac , so altogether ten of us!!! We also used to regularly go shopping to Cambridge to a discount store for food where again we would all pile into the VW camper and off we would go.
Debbie loved life she loved people. she appeared happiest when the house was full to the brim. People were always popping by for a cuppa she had an open door for anyone .She would be talking but working away baking biscuits every afternoon for when the kids got back from school , she seemed to have so much energy I could never have coped with all that, but Debbie took it all in her stride unfazed by all the children.
As time went on Debbie applied to be a foster mother as well and looked after children to give their own parents a rest!
However as well as Debbies own love of children she was a great thinker , a writer a poet, she was really intelligent, she read a huge ammount of books and was an adult education teacher.
Early on this year Debbie told me she had the Big C. She was quite philosophical about it, she knew she might die and she said she wasnt afraid. She didnt want to have chemo. She asked me what I thought. I told her well its up to you, only you can decide. Debbie tried so hard to beat the cancer by a special diet of juiced vegetables.
Unfortunately she lost her battle and I found out this morning when I came down and switched on facebook. Debbie you were a real warrior you had a heart of Gold , you were mad, colourful , bright and happy, you were the most ecccentric person I know , you were a deep thinker, spiritual , an activist ,poet, Mother, Daughter, Grandmother , you were truly an amazing inspirational human being and I am truly blessed to of had a friend like you. God Bless dear friend until we meet againxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I Say a little Prayer for You ( Arethra Franklin) ..
creativity is therapy 