16 March 2019, Frankston, Victoria
This was delivered by daughter Joan on what would have been Gladys Hammond’s 102nd birthday. It was the day of her funeral.
Dearest Mother I thank you for many things
I thank you firstly for the gift of life and for giving me over 70 years of unconditional love .
I thank you for all those good wholesome meals while growing up including the rissoles- done to a frazzle wiith mountains of cabbage supplemented by tonics like Parish’s Food, Saunders Malt and Cod Liver Oil. (while on the other side teaching the neighbours the intricaticies of choux pastry.)
Thank you for dancing the Charleston down the passageway in our house. The image of your skirt flapping, lovely legs flying, imaginary beads twirling and the fancy footwork will remain with me forever..
Thankyou for the memory of the goodnight kiss smelling of humble Three Flowers Face Powder in early life and fine French perfume in later years.
Thank you for protecting us from the savage goat which was attacking our glass doors when we and you were all ill with measles I thank you for telling us we were beautiful.
Thankyou for teaching me that education is important for women.
I thank you for the enormous personal sacrifices you made to raise and educate us.
I thank you eeking out the few shillings from that tightest of tight budget for my piano lessons.
Thank you for understanding my separation anxiety and taking me (and only me) on what was to be your child-free holiday to Queensland with Dad.
Thank you for the times you shepherded four small children onto public transport to visit the Museum, Art Gallery or Botanical Gardens but perhaps not for the time you put us in the train carriage then dashed to the loo and the train went without you. Thankfully our screams were heard.
I owe to you my love of flowers and gardening, of animals and of nature, of music, literature, theatre,and film. (Just as you had the experience as a child of seeing Anna Pavlova dance, so you took me as a young girl to see Dame Margot Fonteyn)
I thank you for the experience of having a mother who always saw the best in people and who had the ability to rise above adversity. You could easily have despaired at your lot and perhaps you did this privately at times.
I thank you for mirroring my joy when receiving the news of my pregnancies and at the birth of my children and for being a loving grandmother to them. I laugh when I recall my phone call to tell you that Adam was on the way after a couple of years of marriage and you saying ” Oh Joan, thank goodness. I thought you were too thin”.
I smile when I think of your trips to Melbourne having the pleasure of the purchase but returning it when reality hit. This was much to the chagrin of our father.
I thank you for the example of friendship. You had friendships that spanned more than 65 years – with Wynne, Ethel and Betty Knight. I watched your friendship with Betty Thompson nurtured through letters that went back and forth between Brim and Ferntree Gully, chatty epistles that outlined the daily rhythms of both your lives.
Thank you for teaching me the importance of community- you lived this example until you could physically no longer do it. Always participating in events including the local flower show ( where you won first prize for your floral arrangement), to being an active member of the Ladies Guild and church community and many other community activities in FTG and Frankston.
I thank you for your generosity- not just to me but to everybody including every charity that sent a self addressed envelope! I recall you saying that Mr Grey from the Cancer Council had written to appeal to you personally for help.
I have in my wardrobe the jacket from your favourite outfit, your Fletcher Jones suit. It fits. I will wear it knowing I will continue to be enveloped in your love. What I hope is that I can also fill your shoes and walk the rest of my life with the same grace and dignity that you did.
Today is your birthday. Happy Birthday, my lovely Mother.
Joan
