Stories
Charles Henry
“Knowing death at such a young age amplifies the importance of everything.”
Charles Henry’s mother died at home from cancer when he was fourteen. While his mother’s death made him more independent, he wonders if the converse is also true – that the welcome continued support of her friends conditioned him to look to others for guidance.
Owen Marshall
“Although people were kind, looking back I think there was a certain sense of isolation, or self-sufficiency, and just getting on with it”
Owen Marshall’s mother died when the boy, who was to become one of New Zealand’s most esteemed writers, was only two. He has a single fleeting memory of a woman who might – or might not – have been his mother, and it’s stayed with him through the eighty-plus years since.
Roberta Hope
“When I think of my mother, I don’t think of a loss… I had my dad”
Roberta Hope’s mother died when the girl was only five. Now in her fifties, Roberta has few memories of her mother. However, she was buoyed through her childhood by the love of her dad, and never felt she lacked for a mum.
Amie Richardson
“Kids lose that perspective of their parent being able to make everything okay.”
Amie Richardson’s husband, Wayne Biggs, was diagnosed with aggressive lymphoma when their sons were only two and five years old. She quickly had to work out how to support her sons through his sickness, death, and beyond.
Jeff Duncan
“Most people know their parents as people. We don’t. And we never will”
Jeff Duncan’s mother died from leukemia when he was ten. His story mirrors mine closely, which is not surprising as he’s my older brother…