Bradford Lad: A Lesson For Life
Mike Coatesworth pays tribute to his Aunt Chrissie, a lady who, though both deaf and blind, showed him the way to a good life.
My Aunt Chrissie was a major influence in my life. She stood in as my mother, and she was also my friend. She looked after me, cared for me, nurtured me and saw that I was fed. She talked to me, listened to me, laughed with me when I was happy, cried with me when I was sad.
I remember an occasion when I was very young. Aunt Chrissie called me into her room and gave me sixpence to buy a bag toffees. There was no real reason for this. I knew she couldn't afford to give sixpence away, but she did.
Aunt Chrissie was deaf and blind. Though I was only eight years old I realised that she was sometimes lonely. She had to feel wanted, needed. In my life she was always needed. She was the one person I turned to when I was hurt. I accepted that sixpence, giving her a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. I wanted to show her that I cared for her more than any other person.
I smile as I write this, hearing in memory her laughter, feeling that she is still watching over me. I remember seeing her when she was sad. Then I tried to cheer her up by taking her to the park, watching with satisfaction as she began to smile when she sat on a swing. Not once did I see her angry. She realised that children need love and understanding, not harsh words.
She told me once that she had found a crow with a broken wing. She took care of the bird for a couple of weeks, feeding it, hoping that nature would repair the wing. And that is what happened. The bird eventually flew away.
Shortly after that my aunt was walking along a footpath, with all sorts of thoughts in her mind. She turned to cross a busy road, not paying attention to where she was. Suddenly a large black bird flew at her, causing her to cover her face with her arms. Then, shocked out of her reverie, she saw cars speeding by. She had almost walked out into the road without thinking. And the black bird? The injured crow perhaps, returning a big favour?
Aunt Chrissie told me that if I went out into the world and tried to do good deeds I would be rewarded four-fold.
She was right.
