Over my lunchtime sandwich, I was vaguely pottering on the computer and thought to look up Anna Massey, an actress whom I rather admire - daughter of Raymond, sister of Daniel.
I found an article in which she said of her father: "He stammered rather badly, unless he was acting. He stammered at emotional moments. Once he tried to tell me he loved me, and just couldn't because the stammer was so bad. It went on for so long that I offered him a scone in the middle. I couldn't prompt him. I couldn't say, 'You... love... me' - it's not a line you can prompt somebody with..."
Which I thought was both funny and sad.
My aunt seems to have rallied a bit. But not much. And Daughter 2 has been in London for six long months.
I do admire Anna Massey. Such a beautiful voice and she is growing old gracefully, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteYour Aunt is fortunate to have you... showing her husband's picture to her was the right thing to do.
Courage mon brave! Soon you will be a Nanna (is there a scottish version of that name?) and a Mother of the Bride...onwards!
Doesn't she look wonderful?
ReplyDeleteMy father could never have said that he loved us, though I'm fairly sure that he did. I said it to my children all the time and it has become an easy part of our conversation - for which I am profoundly grateful.
ReplyDeleteAnd - I see you a DD in London and raise you a DD in the US of A. :) Who has had pneumonia (but is getting better slowly). And whose MIL has been to see her when I can't yet. But I'm not going to whine - but only because if I started I might not stop! Hope your aunt improves somewhat - hang in there x
I love her voice...and the scone comment is so touching.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry you are feeling 'daughterless'...but you will have a grandchild soon! focus on that wonderful event.
My father and Dan Massey were close friends at Cambridge and he always talks fondly of Anna too. That scone anecdote is rather moving isn't it.
ReplyDeleteAnd, commenting on your most recent post (I always seem to read two or three together), my husband was educating me on the great Scottish midge just yesterday, musing that we may have annoying blowflies here but in his homeland (his parents were from Airdrie and had accents I could barely comprehend) the midges are Dangerous Vicious Creatures.
I'm afraid I have never heard of Anna Massey until now, but I shall absolutely have a look at her work.
ReplyDeleteI'd also like to leave you a big, warm hug - it must be terrible to have your child living that far away from you.
My teenage daughter has been dating a boy for about a month now who has a stammer. She has been very thoughtful about the situation. She has told me that many people, even many of his friends, make fun of him.
ReplyDeleteShe told me recently that he told her that he really appreciated that she didn't ever laugh at him and that she was so patient with him and....didn't complete his sentences when he was struggling.