Bye Mam. Bye Nana.

My mother, Audrey, passed away on the morning of November 11th 2004. In early October we learned that she was terminally ill with secondary liver cancer. So, we put our trip around the US on hold and placed the RV into storage in order to come to Wales to spend some time with her. We expected to spend at least a couple of months together and booked our flights and accommodation accordingly. We arrived home in Llanelli, Wales, on the evening of November 5th. However, the cancer was much more aggressive than we expected and we only managed to spend a few days with her.

In Wales, a majority of people refer to their mother as Mam and there are several names that grandchildren use to refer to their grandmother – my children called her Nana. I feel proud, even surprised at how close my children were to their Nana. They did not see each other very often but spoke on the phone every couple of weeks. They loved talking to her and giving her updates, sometimes quite detailed, on what was going on in their lives at the time.

When the children visited my mother, they were fortunate enough to see their Nana in a condition where they could talk with her and exchange hugs and kisses - which really made her happy. Her condition deteriorated very quickly after that day. When she passed away, she was in her own home and with her three children right there at her bedside. Her passing was dignified and fortunately she did not suffer for an extended period.

Bye Mam. Bye Nana. We love you and we miss you.