Julia Smethurst

My Mum, who never gives up

I’m writing on behalf of my mum, Julia. I’m using her iPad. I’m sorry. I have her password. She tells me everything. I wanted to tell you a story. When I was born (see above), my Mum gave up her career. She was a Director of Advertising for Hearst UK. But, being married to an ‘Airline Training Captain’ she realised that I needed her constant love, as I had no one to care for me if she wasn’t there. She gave up everything. She loved me so much that nothing else mattered to her. My father was gone a lot. He travelled all around the world and she figured there would be no one there for me. So, she gave me her all. She left her career and is always struggling to find money from the allowance my father gives her. But she doesn’t care. She gives me her best effort, and last pence. In fact, she’s broke. But it doesn’t matter. I never had a school event that she didn’t go to. I always looked to see someone there, and there she was....always smiling and waving me on. Throughout my years at school, I ended up going through a very difficult time. I was bullied about my weight. I was harassed when I came out as Gay. My Mum was always there to protect me, encourage me, and love me. I remember her response to my sexuality; she said, ‘it doesn’t matter who you love, or how you love, as long as you love...if you accept that, I’m always so proud of you’ and I thought back to when I tried to commit suicide and realised, I wanted to live. I fought through my time at school with the message my Mum always told me: Always do what you love, believe your life is precious....and no matter what you choose, I believe in you. Your choices are my choices...because I trust in your heart.’