Linear Progression

Date: 24 February 2008 12:37:33

I have long been fascinated by the life of one woman, one I've never met and about whom I knew very little as I was growing up. Very little but for the fact she died to give my mother a chance. I've told the story before, if you want to know more read the boob-checking stories in my archives. Edna Marian, my grandmother and I were born in the same month (but we're not the same star sign if you follow that sort of thing) though some 19 years before I was born.

I had the opportunity in my last holiday back home to duck down to Wellington to spend some time with my Aunt and her cousin (and my mother's cousin too, of course) to delve a little into some of the family history, and to give me a bit of a picture of who Edna Marian was and by extension, who a little part of me is...

Actually we'll start with her mother, Clara Ellen - born in NZ in 1871, married my grandfather John Henry and had 5 children, my grandmother Edna Marian was their youngest.

Edna Marian Heron, my grandmother, born I'm not sure when but died in 1949 after a run in with breast cancer. Mother of 5, grandmother of 12, great-grandmother of 24, if I've counted correctly...

I'm sorry I don't have pictures of her as an adult, these ones were taken on the run. Next time I'm home I plan to get some from my mother. Actually i know I have Edna's wedding photo somewhere but for the life of me I can't lay my hands on it...

Edna was the first to carry the Marian middle name, my mother Wendy was the next. She too is born in April. She's pretty extraordinary, graduating with her Bachelor of Nursing in her early 50's and surviving a pretty massive car crash not much later. Mother of four, grandmother of [almost] seven!

Then there's me. Soon to be 40, not married, no kids and occasionally seriously pissed off about that.

I have great nieces and nephews and god-kids who I count as dearly as my own kin. But if I'm really honest, and as my eyes swim a little while I think about these things, I see this line of women from whom I come and I'm thrilled to be a part of it. Really thrilled.

But I'd really hate for it to end with me.