Speech for my perfect mum: Today we are here to remember a perfect mum, wife, daughter, sister, aunty, grandmother and friend to many of us , but more importantly we are here to remember the wonderful Deborah Louise Rebbetts. I can’t even begin to describe my mum in just a short speech, but I wanted to talk to you all today about some of her most wonderful qualities, beautiful memories and how she would like us to remember her and fulfil her legacy. Kind, caring, honest, selfless, hard working, brave, reliable, supportive and trustworthy are just some of the amazing qualities my mum has. Now these words get bandied around all too often, but I bet everyone sitting in this room today can think of dozens of examples of when my mum portrayed these qualities, and that’s how mum would want us to think moving forward. Remember the good times that we all spent together because mum might have only got to spend 54 years on this planet, but her soul and spirit will live here forever. The bible echos what mum has promised: “Then the mother of the child said, ‘As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you”. We have faith mum. Everything around us will remind us of mum, the pretty flowers growing in the summer will remind me of mum testing me if I can remember the names of different coloured ones. Playing a board game with dice will remind me of mum’s dice slide where the dice is placed perfectly on double sixes. Every Thursday is cook your own night where mum encouraged us and taught us how to cook different meals. Every amazon package I get through the post could have been sent by mum just showing us that she’s thinking of us and She’ll still be thinking of us, just as we are thinking of you now mum. Driving together in the beetle with the same tapes playing. Have a nice day ringing in our ears with the wind down windows and the loud engine roaring. Mum had probably been in the car for hours already, as she drove us to every club under the sun, yet she was as happy as when she first woke us up in the morning. Nothing was ever too much trouble for mum, mum managed to keep a wonderful balance of “what you ask you get” without ever causing Sean or I to take advantage of her selfless nature. Mum just believed in providing every good opportunity we could take and her time and effort was something to be admired by all. Dad has since said that Mum only became maternal once she found out she was having Sean, but my goodness she did not take a second look back. I had the privilege of being looked after perfectly by mum (and dad of course) for 30 years, and if I was sure of anything, it would be that she made me the man I am today. Every day I know I have mum watching me and helping me along the way because there’s no way I will succeed in anything without her continual guidance. Thankfully, her constant belief in me is ingrained in my heart, otherwise I don’t know how I would be able to continue without her here next to me, but mum showed fight and determination and never gave up, and I promised her I would do the same. One of mum’s favourite sayings was Relax mann, a phrase we can all take on board. If anyone lived in the moment, it was mum and she spent 30 years telling me to do it, I will and I will encourage everyone I meet to do the same. Mum showed us that life doesn’t need to be a race and it can pass us by all too quickly leaving us unappreciative of the things and people around us. I will always remember mum laying in the back garden picking moss out the grass with a tiny fork, and we all would say, why are you doing that? With mum, it was being outside in the sunshine, living in the moment and also doing something helpful for the garden. And someone that can take the joy of forking moss out the grass by hand is someone who is enjoying living in the moment and appreciating life for its beauty. A message I know mum would want us to take on board . “Do the things you love doing and spend time with the ones you love. Mum always Enjoyed life for the little things. The love that you share with Dad is one of a kind, the example you have set for both Sean and I Is truly inspiring. The good bye kisses before work, the hello kisses when you return to each other’s arms, the teamwork in parenthood that never cracked let alone broke all demonstrate a perfect partnership between Simon and Deborah Rebbetts. All my favourite memories are those we did as a four and that’s what love and family life is about. Thank you for all those wonderful family memories mum. Sean and I will never be able to look after dad the way you did for 35 years, but we promise to spend our lives trying to. You are dad’s soul mate, life partner and best friend and together we will make it through this. Yes the pain is unbearable at times, but the family you created will battle strongly, because that’s how you made us. Mum had torrid luck with physical health,a major operation on her intestines when she was three months old, her Gallbladder removed at 30, moles removed and 18months of cancer treatment followed by two major operations, makes you question everything in this world; yet when I even mentioned a silly toothache, you could immediately see that her only concern was you, never herself. Throughout her treatment, she was still sending gifts to family and friends, constant jokes and important information that she knew would help us individually and collectively were sent,, all with a smile on her face. That selflessness and care was always at the forefront of her mind and is to be admired. and every time I think of my mum I will think of these qualities and will try to live up to the expectations mum has set for us in this world, and I vow to pass this onto my future generations both within my family and in education. Deborah Rebbetts is a true inspiration of our generation, I couldn’t be prouder to call you my mum. 4 years ago you took us back to your childhood home, Zimbabwe or as it was known back then Rhodesia. It was always a dream of yours to take us back there as a family, and I’m so glad we got to do that together. I will always have the image of your smile in your happy place and that is comforting. I picture you walking around the beautiful bush with the animals by your side and the loved ones you have joined, telling stories of your childhood with a twinkle in your eye. Mum always spoke of our cats leaving messages for each other which is why they stop and smell everything, well now you can read those messages mum, so go and explore with the lions, go and eat with the giraffes, go and sunbathe with the hippos, Life does not end when you pass, and mum will be bringing joy to those in heaven who have the privilege of being with my mum. I know that god has been gifted with mum’s presence in heaven, as have the other friends and relatives we have lost over the years. They have gained a companion that will never let the conversation drop, never let you go unloved, never let you feel alone, and mum promised that we will never be alone. Mum, We feel your presence, we feel your love and most of all we feel your inner beauty that touched all of our lives so much in your time here. I love you forever and always.