Just feeling a bit emotional this evening about my childhood.
Usual story, abuse, neglect, stepdad, mother who only wanted sons etc. It was about as bad as it could be really.
Sometimes I dwell on the bad stuff, then I remember Mrs W. She probably saved my life.
I was always filthy, I wasn't allowed to shower or bath unless my stepdad was in there with me so I just didn't do it. My clothes were often dirty or too small. She often had 'spare' clothes or shoes that didnt fit her daughter, my friend, and would tell me to try them on and then just wear them for the day. When i stayed over she said there was a family rule that everyone had to bathe each night and ran me the loveliest baths with bubbles and fancy soaps, it was heaven.
I would call on my friend in the mornings to walk to school, and Mrs W had always made too much breakfast, and overdid the sandwiches for lunch and would offer me the extras. As well as fruit that was about to turn so had to be eaten.
I told my friend when I started my period, and she obviously told her mum, her mum put leaflets and pads into my bag and never said a word, she put pads in there every month.
The way i viewed all of the things she did when I was a child/young teen is very different to how I see it now.
Now I know there were never extras, she made the stuff for me, she bought the clothes and shoes for me, the fruit wasn't going to turn, she just wanted to make sure I had something to eat later. There was no family rule about baths either.
Many years later, at this angels funeral, I spoke to her daughter and told her all about the things her mum did, she had no idea, she also hadn't realised, and her mum never said a word. She just quietly did what she could and never uttered a word.
No point to this post really, I just wanted to tell someone about Mrs W, I really wish she had been my Mum.