OUAS May "Forever"

Thursday and it's a bank holiday over here. Tomorrow is what we Swedes call "a squeeze day" i.e. a working day squeezed in between a bank holiday and the weekend. Hubbs and I are spending this extra free day together doing whatever we fancy, chores are banned! who am I to argue about that rule? ;)) Starting off the day with brunch out on town and then taking it from there.

I have just finished my page for the OUAS May challenge, the theme of which is "mum". First Nadia's pretty sketch.

I also have to give you a word of warning, the journalling for this page is painful and there is a very special reason why I am posting this on this specific day of 17 May.

My mother was a very, very shy person and people thought she was quite abrupt and rude as her Finnish accent was very heavy and gave the softer Swedish language a sharpness that Swedish ears find difficult to appreciate. Once she had checked you out and approved you, she opened up and revealed an incredibly warm and funny person with an unusually big heart. She was fiercely protective of her children (me and my brother) and always ready to feed a hungry stranger. Children adored auntie Hilda, as her name was. She was very down to earth and practical, a no-nonsence/no-fuss kind of person.

Here is my take: "Forever", all papers are from KaiserCraft;



My mum was always hiding in the background when anyone had a camera out. When rummaging through my own photo stash and the boxes left by my parents, I found lots and lots of photos where one could only see part of her face or where she was disappearing somewhere in the periphery.



I eventually found one of her when she was about 15 years old, standing outside her family home far up north in rural Finland. (The word AITI is Finnish and means mother, it should be spelled ÄITI).

 

This absolutely STUNNING key is a gift from my pal Bente Fagerberg, isn't it just totally scrummy?! thank you so so much sweetie!

It is a symbol for kindness and honesty, they secret words that opened up my mother's heart.

 

My mother was brought up in a family of 13 children, in poverty that is unfathomable for modern people. My maternal grandfather was the eldest son in a well-off family, he fell in love with one of their maids - my maternal grandmother. As a result, my maternal great grandfather disinherited my grandfather. My grandmother died when giving birth to their 13th child during burning WW2 due to a sloppy and drunken doctor. My mother was 12 years old when she had to assume the role of mother to her own siblings.

 

All her life my mother loved flowers and was obsessed with food. She told many stories about growing up  during the war with terrifying occupation of both Russians and Germans, whole families fleeing at night time, her baby sister being killed under a pile of people squashed in, and hunger, always so very very hungry.

 

Also I have inherited her love for flowers, although my love stems only from the fact that they are so beautiful. Hers is from the starkness of life and lack of anything remotely pretty, which was considered a sin by the harsh religion her parents confessed to.

 


On this day, 17 May, she died in my arms after having fought rampaging cancer for a few weeks. The woman who gave me the gift of life. There is no denying, all I am, I owe to my mother's love and she will always and forever be in my heart.

 

The tiny wooden PP spool tucked into the cluster, reminds me how my mum was always knitting, sewing or mending something. Idleness was not to be had, although in later years, she did come to appreciate going for coffee and having a pedicure on special occasions.

 

The gorgeous chipboard flourishes are from 2Crafty. I have misted them in peach and orange, covered them in TA Chandelier, and brushed some Iridescent Medium from Winston&Newton on them. You should see them IRL!

You can find the product numbers of the chippies you are interested in by checking out the 2Crafty's website. 2Crafty chippies can be ordered easy peasy from sweet Di Garling just by sending her an email. She accepts settlement by PayPal and international orders are shipped really swiftly by this amazing lady!
 

vgarling@bigpond.net.com

As I warned you at the beginning of this post, the journalling is painful. Not to me, but because I didn't know any of it until the day before she died when she told everything to me knowing that she would be gone very soon. All my life I adored my maternal grandfather and it has taken me more than 10 years to be able to even think of him without bursting into tears and feeling hatred.

If you want the text to come up bigger, pls click on the photo.

 

Today I am not mourning my mother, I am CELEBRATING the fact that she was my mother and everything she did for me and my brother. At the age of 53 I know that love is the greatest healer of all, the greatest power source of all and the only thing that makes living worthwile. Without it we are but an empty shell.

Yes, today I am getting a bit deep and emotional but that is also a part of who I am. If I don't cry, I cannot appreciate a smile. If I am not angry, I cannot appreciate being happy. Ying and Yang in other words.

So enough of the mushy stuff, I am truly very happy and content with my life. With an imaginary huge bouquet of the loveliest of red roses and a glass of wine I am going to celebrate life and have a wonderful day with my Bengt.

I am posting the 4 winners of my give-aways on Saturday, you have until this midnight 17 May Swedish time to have a go!

Sending you all sunshine from Stockholm, have a really great end to the week!

Toodelipip! Much love, Eila