Monday 4th November
Molly turns 21
Molly burst into the world 21 years ago and in that moment I
began to heal. We lost our first baby on
Christmas morning and I thought my world had come to an end. But by the next Christmas Molly was with us
so we smiled as she stared at the lights on the tree and crunched up wrapping
paper. At just a day old Molly was
already imposing herself on the world and just refused to settle. From my hospital window I could see the fireworks. She might not have been able to see them but
she heard then and that soothed her. I knew
then this girl was going to be fearless.
I am not sure many new born babies would be soothed by fireworks
exploding.
Once home, Molly began to claim all the attention going and we
loved her so much it hurt. As she has
born with a shock of red hair we had given her Ella as a middle name after my
darling grandmother. As she grew she
seemed to learn her great grandmother's wisdom and my father loved her for
that. He used to spend hours watching
her and often commented how full of purpose she was for someone so small. When my dad fell asleep for the final time I
cried like my heart would break because I knew she would now grow up without
the inspiration that was my father.
In her very young years Molly had to put up with a mother teaching
full time and studying for her masters degree part time. Molly was there when her father accidentally
wiped an entire chapter of my thesis from the hard drive. Molly was there when I passed my driving
test. Molly was there when I got my new
shiny job at the university. Molly has
always been there.
To understand Molly you probably have to understand me and to
understand me you have to understand Molly.
Our connection knows no words to describe it and that is because she
saved me. She saved me for a grief so
profound and deep that I thought my heart would ache for eternity. Eventually three brothers joined the family
and Molly strutted about the home asserting her claim as 'top dog'. There she remains.
Molly's love of animals started very early with continual pestering to visit the pet shop. One sunny afternoon at a farm park a rather impressive turkey took a dislike to us and as I ran for the hills. Molly stood her ground, stuck her finger out and gave it a really good telling off. The turkey was mortified but Molly was delighted. Many years later Molly was to rescue a chicken who wandered by without a home and she called it Katie. I can't write about that relationship because it was the most beautiful relationship I have ever seen and when Katie left us after many many years my heart broke again.
The connection Molly has with animals is real, spellbinding and
will, quite easily, move you to tears.
Her ambition was to go to university to study animal conservation. Home school moved aside as Molly took up the
reins herself and began studying her A levels through distance learning. Quite alone she battled with her four
subjects just as they were the naughty turkey and won that battle as well. She is now in her final year at university having
backed the academic experience up with professional field experience that has
included spending a month on the isle of Eigg.
Molly can't be rushed and I always she her as a wanderer. She wanders off to new places and new
experiences without a backward look. She
wanders into people's lives and steals their heart but her favourite wandering
is with at least one of the dogs by her side as she sets off to walk. Molly can really walk. Hours later she returns looking exactly the
same as she left.
Despite all the wandering Molly is a home girl. She loves her family and we all love her
right back. Her father does what she
tells him and her brothers admire her achievements and love her all the more
for them. There is no sibling jealously
in our family and there never will be.
We call Molly 'our angel' because she rescued us and we will
always be eternally grateful. Molly is
my saviour, my wonderful daughter and my very best friend. There is a light that shines very deep in my
soul and guides my every move in life.
Molly put that light there. As
she turns 21 we could not be more proud and we could not love her more. Our incredibly beautiful Molly. Xxxxx
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