As soon as June rolls around, my thoughts tend to focus in a special way. I begin to think of my darling Cynthia, and her upcoming birthday on June 12th.
In years gone by, when she was alive, I would be thinking of what gift I would get her for her birthday, and how we might celebrate that day. Of course, what she wished to do (or not) to celebrate, was paramount, but that didn’t stop me from thinking of things we might do. I was never very good at buying gifts for her. Things I bought for her rarely fitted her bill. However, she was gracious in accepting my gifts, though I suspect she secretly disposed of them at later dates!
One gift I bought her stands out in my mind. For her fiftieth birthday, I asked my friend Marty Brown, who was a local hairdresser, if he would paint a family photograph for her. The picture showed Cynthia’s mother and father standing at the the front of their home in Wales. In front of the couple was a row of small children, all dressed in traditional Welsh costumes. They were celebrating the investiture of Prince Charles as the Prince of Wales.

I thought this would be ideal as a gift. When I presented the gift to Cynthia, she thanked me sincerely for giving the gift to her. She then followed the thanks with, “But Martin, I don’t like water colours!” The picture is still hanging on the wall in my living room. I have a chuckle whenever I look at it, for it reminds me of her, her loving ways and all the wonderful experiences we had together.
As I write this, I know that on June 12th, our family members and her friends will remember her and honour her in our hearts.
PS. Happy birthday to dear Angela, who shares the same birthday as Cynthia. They were born hours apart and were always great friends.