Yesterday was a special occasion when we celebrated the 90th birthday of Betty, my mum and mentor.
Born in 1927, Mum is a product of her generation: hard-working, generous, humble and stoic. So, it was a happy day for Mum with her children, partners, (almost all of) her grandchildren, a special video message from SJ in London, and her special friend, Betsy.
The year of Mum’s birth saw Charles Lindbergh’s solo flight from New York to Paris, the release of the first major ‘talkie’ movie, The Jazz Singer, and Joseph Stalin become leader in Russia.
In Australia, the population was just over 6 million. Stanley Bruce was the Prime Minister in the new Parliament House in Canberra, which had recently been opened by the Duke of York.
Betty shares her birth year with some other amazing Australians, including Dawn Lake, Peter Cundall, Frank Sedgman and Bart Cummings. This generation of Australians experienced many major challenges, including the Great Depression, World War II, post-war shortages and rationing, and many economic downturns along the way.
They worked hard to build a nation capable of peacefully absorbing millions of immigrants in the wake of WWII. And many have contributed to the ongoing welfare of their families, including the education of their children and grandchildren.
This is certainly the case with Betty who occupies a central position in our family. She has taught us all how to work, give and when the going gets tough, to simply get going.
Happy birthday Mum – we love you very much.
Related articles:
Betty’s no-nonsense budgeting tip
The real secret to living longer
The best movie from the year you were born
