Never Surrender

One thing I eventually learned at school is to never submit to bullies,

If the British had all submitted to bullies the world would be a very different place right now.

The British had stood their ground even with the threat of invasion and while dealing with constant raids. My grandmother had even defied my grandfather and visited London during The Blitz! He was right. The Blitz had cost the life of his cousin and their entire family.

Nonetheless she was not going to be prevented from visiting her family, The British quietly and without fanfare had carried on defiantly. It was that defiance which had got them through even as their homes had been reduced to rubble and the mocking voice of the enemy had filled the airwaves,

My grandmother was stubborn her entire life but it was sheer pig-headed determination and courage like this from her and millions of others, which in the end had defeated fascism. My grandfather had helped deal with the bomb which had landed behind their house, as part of the home guard.

I come from a long line of very stubborn women!

The day my grandmother had softened, we had known it was the end. If anybody thinks they are going to subjugate my mother, I smile and think,

“Good luck with that!”

Dad had nearly worn his dinner a few times!

She was known to say,

“Do you want to eat it or wear it?”

My Great Grandmother had defiantly announced that no child of hers was going to be a servant. I had remembered that while dealing with my own little dictator.

I loved that she had quietly mocked the women who had dutifully obeyed all the signs causing us to have to walk miles out of our way one parent’s evening, I know how my children feel. My mother was embarrassing me with her sheep sound effects, I am only sorry I did not present my ex husband’s friend with the wooden spoon she so richly deserved, which my mother had bought especially for her!

My Mother Lives To Embarrass Me

Remember my mum coped with finding pig’s eyeballs in her till. Additionally I took a bag of eyeballs to school.