Who are your current most favorite people?
I have some true friends, I won’t name them on here, but they’re the kind of people that can accept the humanity of others. No pressure to be perfect around them.
One goes back 54 years, I’ve written about her and our inexplicable yet boundless relationship.
One I met in a group, they were the youngest I was second oldest, yet it’s worked for over 17 years. We’re actually able to agree and disagree, get frustrated, and check how the other person is a couple of hours later. Last night I thought I’d upset him and felt psychically sick. Turned out he was replying to two comments ago. Phew.
It took me over 50 years to find the sister I always missed. I used to say that I wanted a sister. Felt that I had one somehow. Turned out we were visiting the same elderly persons’ estate in Chichester at exactly the same time, both visiting aunts (although my aunt turned out to be my gran).
Her father’s forename was my father’s birth surname. Aubrey isn’t the most common name yet that shared it.
That’s not the only commonality, I called my oldest doll (as in first doll) Susan, she had an identical doll and called it Suzanne. She’s a bit more colourful than me. She didn’t have a doll called Chandelier though, so maybe not. She is also married to a chocolate loving Yorkshire-softie who is one in the best people I know. I have reason to be eternally grateful to that man, and her. They got me through one of the worst moments of my life.
The other set is my brother and his family. Bro and I had a rocky start in life in a tumultuous family that had no trust in each other. That was in my grandparent’s generation, then my parents, then filtered down to ours. I eventually walked away completely. I couldn’t do that ‘normality’ anymore.
He called me one day out of the blue, saying we needed to put this right. I wouldn’t have contacted him as I’d lost confidence that I could ever have a family, but I was so grateful that he did call.
Since then we’ve built something good, just us. Discovered that we’d been through many similar things we wish the other hadn’t experienced, as such we understand each other.
He called because he’d seen the same thing I had, the two children who ‘never got on’, yet together all the time in family photos. There’s a 7 year age difference and yet you could see the closeness and connection.
He’s also brought me another sister, two beautiful boys, a lovely niece-in-law, a lovely great nephew, and a new brother to him. I have other greats but they live far away.
You may think I’m sad at the lost years, but my uppermost feeling is that at this age I have him back! It’s been a real life uptick. You cannot complain when now is better than the past!
Then there’s the inspirational
The King. I liked that he didn’t spend his time as Prince of Wales drinking and carousing. He turned it into a role that means something. He made a huge difference and still does. I support him in not changing too much.
Anton du Beke, when treated incredibly badly – along with his fans – he made the best of it. That’s a good example to have.
Barry Manilow, who seeks to inspire his fans at every concert I’ve ever been to. He’s coming to London next year and they had to put on 5 more shows. Only remarkable people carry that loyalty into their 80s. He also took some hard knocks and came back from them.
The late Queen, who showed herself willing to change in line with public feedback. Politicians don’t do that. Who got up out of her death bed to do her duty, and always signed letters ‘Your servant Elizabeth’. She was stability. As is the King. People first.
There are many historical figures I admire that have contributed to my mindset in a positive way, and too may authors to list. But I’m going to tell you the last person I have admiration for…then run!
David Cameron, because he told us the truth about Brexit. We didn’t give the EU £350m we had a 40% rebate forever. The only country that did, we were in the top 3 powerbrokers. Turkey are nowhere near joining the EU. EU migration was positive, we had to change vets thanks to Brexit because they’re still short of vets.
So, no I don’t agree with everything he does. But…
If we don’t respect the good we see, we will never see the good.
Never let anything stand in the way of appreciating good things, because other people think you shouldn’t.
Now I’m going to 🦆 and 🏃♀️
Deb xx
Deb Hawken - Amorah 