leukaemia sucks - or is that stating the obvious

I am deeply honoured to be giving this tribute to Moira, a very dear friend...I face the task with some trepidation, but as ever Mo has made it easy for me. All the anecdotes and memories from her friends around the world paint the same picture of a fun loving warm and generous friend.

So here are the collective memories from the Ya Ya Sisterhood. The women from Melbourne, Glasgow, Aboyne, Anchorage, and Cairo. We met at book clubs, quilting bees, school runs and socials. A group who have had the joy of knowing Mo as she travelled around the world with Russ and the boys.

The common thread of our memories of Mo is obvious to all. Strength of character, fierce love of her boys, a zest for life, and a genuine sense of fun and sharing. With her beaming smile and a very distinct laugh Moira has touched our lives in many ways. With Mo we could always be ourselves. We all benefited from her warmth and her joy of the fine things in life.

Here’s just a taste of the memories she has left with us..

Mo was an inspiring role model who set the standard for us on motherhood. Moira gave everything she could to making the best life possible for her family; facing up to every phase of the boys lives with energy, integrity and love. Mo always put her family first. From making a warm and welcoming home for her boys in every location, to going into battle with the school be it over French lessons or cocoa pops. The love and effort and commitment she gave to Russell, Elliott, Ross and George has set up them up, ready to take on whatever the future may bring.

Mo had a passion for exploring the places she lived, and especially loved the great outdoors. She was a fantastic researcher and spent much time planning those extra special holidays for her family and friends. From a West Highland Lodge complete with roaring stags, to a Corsican villa with little white mice in the trees. From dock jumping at Big Lake in Alaska, to to skidoo rides and out-skiing the wolves at China Hot Springs(!). From Cape Cod to Mexico, Hawaii to the Grand Canyon. And latterly Egypt. Sharing her love of camping and photography in the Egyptian desert with dear friends. Sitting under the stars putting the world to rights …

Moira loved good wine. She often said “life is too short for drinking bad wine”. She earned a reputation of keeping the good stuff at the back of the fridge; topping her glass up in the kitchen with Cloudy Bay, while serving cheapo plonk to the less discerning visitors. Mo had the same characteristics as two of her favourite wines Cloudy Bay Sauv Blanc…“vibrantly aromatic… an exotic infusion of fresh ginger, sweet basil, and lemongrass… mouth-wateringly juicy … with a refreshing crispness”….and Tim Adams The Fergus… “deliciously different... great served at a special dinner with wine-loving friends…intensely powerful.. graceful hints of warm earth and sweet spice … medium-bodied with a supple strength”...

Mo loved shopping and she acted as a shopping consultant to many of us. You only had to tell her what you needed and she’d know just where to find it, down to which catalogue and page number! She had a great knack of finding the perfect card or gift for any occasion - forget-me-not seeds for Ian, a silver bowl for Estelle, quilted baskets for Lynda, Sue, Megan and Sheila, a set of moose antlers for me (!). Fabulous art from Australia. She loved Cairo and picked up many treasures from Road 9 and the Khan from carpets to alabaster bowls. In the early Aboyne years it was Mo who steered us towards brightly checked trousers from Pedlars… and then she brought Boden Man into our midst. Whilst our men wore fleeces, baggy ill fitting shorts and faded T-shirts, Russell stood out in the crowd with neat pressed deck shorts and crisp linen check shirts. Today its clear she has had quite an influence on our men!

Moira was the hostess with the mostess. Her table was the place to be! From fancy dress parties in Australia - usually ending up fully clothed in the pool - to the Abyone ball in Coo Cathedral. From Burns night in Alaska burling with 5 star generals, to ‘pole dancing’ at the Rugby Club desert ball next to the Giza pyramids. You could guarantee Mo’s table was always the worst behaved and had the most fun!

One of the many things Mo brought back from her time in Australia was a cappuccino machine. Before the days of Starbucks and El Greco’s Mo’s kitchen table became the place to put the world to rights over a steaming mug of Lavazza black label. Mo always had a warm welcome for anyone dropping by… but there was always something about the warm and calming atmosphere that Mo created around her and her kitchen table. Our menfolk adored her as much as we did. It was only later we realized the secret of her success. Subtle blends of Lavender, Mandarin, and Geranium wafting from burners and candles, creating an invisible and intoxicating air that calmed and relaxed us. Drawing us into the glow of the “red hot chili pepper” lights and her fabulous hospitality.

Mo was always ahead of the pack. She was the first to get an iPod, the first to buy on E bay. She was more computer literate than the rest of us put together and in January she introduced all to the wonderful world of blogging. Her blog has been a lifeline to all of us over the last 7 months. A work of art. A window into Mo’s inner thoughts and inner strength. A showcase for her writing, her wit and her wicked sense of humour. A two-way support structure for all of us… her friends and her family.

So thank you Mo, for being part of our lives as we’ve brought up our children, danced, laughed and started to go grey...

you will be with us,
every time we take a sip of sauvignon blanc (Oyster Bay or Cloudy Bay), we’ll silently toast you and smile,
every time the Boden catalogue lands on our doorsteps we’ll wonder “could our men ever look as good as Russell in this?” and smile,
every time we sit at our kitchen tables for a cappuccino and a good gossip, you’ll be there listening and smile,
every time we blog we’ll remember when we kept losing everything because we got the security code wrong and smile,
every time we light a candle we will reflect on our good fortune of knowing you and smile,
you are with us, and we will always smile.

“Some people come into our lives and leave an imprint on our hearts, and we are never the same”

What an incredible human being! How great was fate to let us have the chance to know you!

Thank you, and farewell Mo – the Queen of the Ya Ya Sisterhood.

Rosy
3rd August 2006

(Spoken at Mo's funeral. Based on the contributions of many friends from around the world. Thank you xxx)