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Someone i admire most is my Father. I called my first born after him. My dad was a very hard working man who loved his family dearly and his wife our Mother. It was amazing really that he became such a great man considering all the hardship he endured. My Father was born in 1910 he was the eldest of four boys and one girl. His Mother was just an ordinary girl married to a sailor who was an alcoholic. His Father went to sea with the merchant navy was making good money but never sent anything back to his wife he sent it to his sister and took care of her family instead of his own. His mother threatened him when she was dying that if he didnt take care of his sister she would come back and haunt and obviously he believed her or maybe it was easier to believe that. the only thing he gave his wife when he came back from sea was another pregnancy.

On her last pregnancy she was alone as usual and went into labour with my Father present,he was only nine. The labor was very fast and she asked my Father to run to someone for help but by the time he returned the baby was born and the infant was dead. His mother was so shocked. They never heard from his Father. The struggle to live just became too much for her and she developed post natal depression. Maybe she just gave up on life. They believed she was mad and put her in a mental hospital and split up the family put two children with one aunt and so on. My dad and his brother were together, been the eldest he felt he had to mind them all but now it was taken out of his hands. These aunts didnt want them they were only a burden to them sure the Father gave them nothing

My Father had no shoes he and his siblings walked around with no shoes and no food in their bellies. He used to run up to an old woman's house to get some brown soda bread she made they hated it because she put too much salt in it but at least it filled them , kept them alive. This was the first time he met my Mother who was from a wealthy family in the town and she used to give him sweets and little treats out through the window. Destiny has a funny way of finding you.

Many stories he told me. He told me about one christmans when the whole family was brought together and his little sister wanted an umbrella from Santa.. A big difference from what children want today. When she ran down the stairs Christmas morning she saw a long thing in her sock she was so excited and shouting " oh Santa has brought me an umbrella" they were

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