Dear Mum,

Thank you for being my Mum and giving birth to me 40 years ago in a hospital in Cairo, Egypt. 

Thank you for all the love and support you gave me as I was growing up, as like you told me, I had a difficult start to my life when I was diagnosed with Mild Cerebral Palsy. 

Thank you for not giving up on me and helping me to develop and learn the life skills I needed to grow into the person I am today. 

Thank you that I have overcome my difficulties and I can do most things even if I still need help and support in some areas. 

Thank you for the times I had in the car with you when you took me to school, then college, then work where we chatted about what was happening in the world, our favourite tv shows, actors, singers, music groups, and sports and sporting stars in football, formula one, athletics, tennis.   When you picked me up I would tell you about my day at school, college, work, who my friends were and just generally about my day and how it had gone and It was nice just to vent my thoughts and feelings to someone about how my day had gone. 

It was nice to have days out with you, going shopping, going to the cinema, visiting National Trust places, going up to London to see Michael Ball in Hairspray as well many other musicals, or going to the Fairfield Halls to see shows like Anton and Erin in their dance shows, or David Essex on his tour,

Thanks you for the times I had at home with you watching tv programs like Neighbours, Home and Away, Eastenders, the David Attenborough wildlife programmes,  or quiz shows like Pointless, the Weakest Link, Mastermind, the Wheel,  or dramas like Casualty, Call the midwife, Silent witness and the daily dose of BBC Breakfast with Dan Walker, Jon Kay, Carol Kirkwood,& Mike Bushel. I enjoyed the times we watched Strictly Come Dancing together with Anton Du Beke being your favourite. 

Thank you for the times we had watching Sport together like Football, Athletes, Formula One Racing, Snooker on the tv. It was good the times we could go and see sport in person like going to a Palace Match and cheering on the Eagles , seeing the British Grand Prix at Silverstone and cheering on Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton who were driving for McLaren at the time  or watching athletes when they had it at Crystal Palace athletes stadium , cheering on athletes like Roger Black, Sally Gunnell, Linford Christie, Jonathan Edwards, Steve Backley to name a few and the time we went and saw the London 2012 Olympics. 

Thank you for the holidays we had together where we went to France, Spain, Bruges, New York, Norway and the camping holidays in this country like Scotland, Wales, Ireland and the Lake District, and   our Christian holidays at Spring Harvest in Minehead around Easter time and more recently the Keswick Convention in the summer. I enjoyed them all. 

Thank you for bringing me up in a Christian household and taking me to church so that I could learn about God and be a part of a loving church family. It was good that you were able to witnessed me professing my faith and trust in God by being baptised at Banstead Community Church. It was good that you were part of the music group where  you played your guitar at the services both at Banstead Baptist Church and Banstead Community Church. It was good that you had a connection to the local Anglican church, St Peter’s in Woodmansterne where you made good friends with the ladies by being part of their Bible Study group and their Monday walking group. 

And Mum even when you were diagnosed with MND, you were so calm about it and kept cheerful. There were times you were down and frustrated about not being able to do a lot and I know I got annoyed with you at times which I’m sorry for. I’m glad I was able to help care for you and that you were able to celebrate my 40th birthday with me. 

I love you and will miss you so much but I know that you are in a much better place with your Heavenly Father in heaven and reunited with lost loved ones. 

I look forward to seeing you again one day with a new body and hearing you sing again in heaven praising our heavenly loving father.

Sending my love and hugs to you.   

Your loving daughter Kristi xx