My Mum I have agonised over words that would do justice to the positive impact that my mother had on so many peoples’ lives over her 60 years. She was a people person – not a trait she endowed on all of us! She loved people and would engage with anyone - always offering advice and support. Her nature was summarised beautifully by her friend Lorna, whom she only knew from her weekly visits over the past year to St Lukes Hospice, which she so enjoyed. Lorna wrote in her Sympathies card; ‘Georgia was my best friend at the Hospice, the way she laughed and her face lit up at my banter used to make my day. She had a strength and a huge amount of love around her and I shall miss her so very, very deeply. It didn’t matter that I only knew her during her illness, that sometimes we couldn’t communicate. Often we would share a tear or a smile and that was all we needed.’ Her big gripe in life was that she wasn’t, by circumstance, allowed to finish her schooling and pursue higher education. We recently jested that had she had the opportunity, she would have been a high court judge – such was her intelligence, honesty and integrity, coupled with an Iron Will. As she didn’t fulfil her early ambitions, she (coupled with an equally wilful partner, Frix) made bloody sure that we (her children) saw through on our hopes and dreams. She passed on her single mindedness, her opinions and her persistence that has driven me and my sisters to fulfil what we have and continue to covet in life. Unlike many of her era, her driving force for herself or us was never envy or material wealth. Her intelligence allowed her to recognise that wealth was about personal fulfilment, happiness but never at the expense of other people. She used to say, ‘Oi na katalipsis bas tin mixani obos emena je ton giri sou!’ So, she lived her dreams through us, her children. Not pushy, not relentless – just gentle encouragement and persistence, with the occasional reminder of what the alternative would be. The dreaded ‘mixani’! She applied her passion and single mindedness to her children. I’ll let other people decide whether it worked, but I’ll be forever grateful for what she gave me. I live by it daily. Of course there were other consequences to this strength of character and passion. Her defence of Cyprus in world politics would drive us crazy. American Presidents, Henry Kissinger, Rauf Denktash – they were criminals. Cyprus was always holier than thou! You could stand Tony Blair in front of her and I am sure that she would win any argument about Cyprus if only by her persistence (maybe she would have been a politician)… And everything centred around being Greek. You’ve all seen the film, Big Fat Greek Wedding; ‘Kimono – its come from the Greek word for winter!’ That was my Mum! – She invented that. Complete unrelenting focus on family, always generous of spirit and opinion about everything. That was my Mum all through our childhoods and up until about 18 months ago. Since then, she has been eaten away by this terrible disease, and for the past year we haven’t heard her opinion or her thoughts. For such a character, I think this is what ultimately finished my Mum. Not her body, that was the disease. I mean her soul. She had so much soul and it got locked away. She described this on her letter board as like being alone in the desert. She never gave up though. Even 24 hours before she finally left us, she managed to spell out a reminder on her letterboard to my Dad, that he pay the priest for his visit to read her last rites! Her dignity was intact, even on her death bed. I am so proud of her unwillingness to give up, right to the end. I, we, already miss her so much. My Dad’s lost his lifelong companion. We’ve lost the incessant advice and guidance that has led us for so long. We’ve all lost a friend. I’m saddened most however by what I know she would say that she’s lost. What she worked hardest for and was most proud of – her wonderful, tight, opinionated, stubborn and ultimately supportive extended family that surrounded her with the love that she taught us to show and that she always expressed with no exception. She will not experience the trials, tribulations and growth of her children and her grandchildren. What are we going to do without her? She worked so hard to make sure that her mind was indelibly stamped into those of her children. She will live on in us, and we will make sure that her voice is heard in areas where we will know she would have an opinion. That would be most things then. My Mum. My guiding light. Your Son