We buried my Mam last friday – it was a beautiful day and our whole family came together to celebrate her life. We sang at her graveside. scattered peonies, soil from Ireland and holy water from St Brigid’s shrine onto her coffin while my mate Ged played the flute.
A few weeks before she died, she asked if i would do her eulogy. How do i write about a woman who achieved so much and touched the hearts of so many people? I purposely left it till the morning of the funeral and went for a swim and whilst travelling up and down the pool, i gathered these words together and loads of people have asked me for a copy, so here it is
What Me Mam Taught Me
How to dream
That God is free
That love isn’t all you need
What Me Mam Taught Me
She taught me
That I lived in the greatest city on earth
How to show my value as well as my worth
Success only comes through hard work
What Me Mam Taught Me
She taught me
That my family will see me through
Maureen Seamus Patricia Theresa Chris and Hugh
She said, “If you work with them, they’ll work with you”
What Me Mam Taught Me
She taught me
That charity begins at home
That it’s good to spend some time alone
Say something positive, don’t just moan
What Me Mam Taught Me
To Travel
To sail eight of the seven seas
That solitude is a dead good beach
That a caravan in wales isn’t all you need
What Me Mam Taught Me
To find beauty in the angry young man
To have as many kids as you can
To only have a Silver Cross Pram
What Me Mam Taught Me
She said that
Through reading and writing I would escape
That I could always have my say
To say a prayer every single day
What Me Mam Taught Me
She taught me
Drink too much & I’ll be depressed
If I take drugs I’ll be a mess
Eat too much food I’ll be obessed (she really said obese but that wouldn’t have rhymed)
What Me Mam Taught Me
To swim
To dance
To show true precision
To have confidence in all my decisions
For everyday to be a mission
What Me Mam Taught Me
Don’t want to be in, it’s better to be out
A whisper can be louder than a shout
To put my brain in gear before I use my mouth (I’m still working on this one)
What Me Mam Taught Me
To take life slow don’t live too fast
To live each day as if your last
Abstain from meat and on Friday fast
What Me Mam Taught Me
If someone’s down, pick them up
If someone’s thirsty, give them your cup
If someone’s bored, give them a book
What Me Mam Taught Me
If someone’s homeless, take them in
That God will always forgive a sin
To put my litter in the bin
What Me Mam Taught Me
That Women’s Lib is nothing to do with burning bras
That if you believe in yourself you will go far
To always drive a Nissan car
What Me Mam Taught Me
She said
Michael, tell them not to cry
Because I have live such a fantastic life
And you can see me in all the children’s eyes
That a sunset is someone you love saying goodbye
Did you see the sunset on Thursday night?
So no sadness today, let’s celebrate her life
What Me Mam Taught Me
