My mother passed away suddenly while I was in Spain in October.

Last week, the four of us siblings got together to sift through four lifetimes.

These words are in memory of my mum, dad, granny and poppy – a travel blog for a different journey. 

A tarnished brass ashtray,
a porcelain doll wrapped in muslin cloth,
a box of faded photographs
from times when hope was fresh…
Before the disappointments,
before the sadness and the pain,
waiting for peace,
waiting for eternal silence.

Ancient forks and steak knives
with handles carved from ivory tusks,
a dusty moss-green recliner chair
dismantled to fit into a shed,
watercolours whispered from the brush…
A jumble of moments gathered,
the sum of a lifetime.

And yet… I remember
a breath, a smile, a tear, a touch.
The deepest mark we leave
is on the hearts of those who love us.