Hazel

10 May 1948 – 14 September 1998

Balmain
21/9/98

Dear Josh and Zoë

A few memories of your mother:

When you were pre-schoolers, your mother was a super-mum like the rest of us, juggling a career with looking after you. When she found she had cancer, as I remember it, she decided to spend lots of time with you and really enjoy the years she had with you. I’m thinking now of the time before she became really sick. I remember saying to Henri one day what beautiful happy children you were, and it was actually because Hazel knew she mightn’t always be there that you had a lovely full-time calm and loving mother for those years.

Hazel was always very calm and gentle with you. I remember when you were a tiny baby, Josh. We offered to babysit you so that your mum and dad could go out. It was the first time they had ever left you! When they came home I said you had been very good, you had cried, but I just let you cry and after 10 minutes you cried yourself to sleep. I think Hazel was very shocked — she never let you cry, she always picke you up and comforted you — and she never asked me to babysit again!

I never heard your mother raise her voice to you.

I rmember seeing her sitting in the park beside Balmain Primary while you played on the climbing frame.

I remember her digging up the lawn to make a vegetable garden and the manure she put in smelt so awful for a few days!

I remember she always had time to chat with Henri over the fence.

Mostly I rmember that she loved you very much and that, knowing she might not have a lot of years to live, she really loved the years she had with you.

Bless you

Mary Ann

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Mary Anne was a neighbour of ours.