Anita’s Gratitude Story – What No One Can Take Away

My mum passed away suddenly in November 2019. She left a Will that had been in place since 2012 and had left everything to her surviving children. She was married, but had not lived with that person since 2004, and he had made no financial contribution toward the mortgage, which was solely in her name.

Mum’s Will was contested by this person and his adult daughter, and many hurtful things were said about my mum and me by them and their solicitors. They had no financial means to pay for legal support, so they went down a no-win, no-fee route.

I knew my mum’s life inside out, and the awful accusations being thrown at me became unbearable, but every time, I was able to prove they were untrue or fabricated. Yet the accusations continued for two long years, back and forth.

My resilience, emotional well-being and health were being affected, but I had always turned to meditation and affirmations for support, so I continued using them. Each morning I had a reminder to open my Gratitude App, where I wrote what I was grateful for and repeated affirmations I had created, as well as those suggested in the app. Without this routine, I would have struggled much more than I already was.

As much as I fought to preserve my mum’s wishes and feelings and have her voice heard, I learned that no matter how hard I tried, the solicitors had always known this case would end a certain way. I discovered that it was my mum’s estate paying for everything on both sides, and then I had an epiphany thanks to the gratitude routine I tapped into every morning.

I became truly grateful for all that I had with my mum: grateful for the fun, love, and laughter we shared, grateful for our experiences, grateful for the multitude of memories we created, and grateful for our special bond that no one could take away or tarnish.

I realised that my mum’s money in another person’s pocket would never buy them what we had in life and what we carry in memory. So I let go and gave them what they wanted, doing so with the strength that gratitude had given me.

Seeing how such a huge and emotional journey can be transformed through gratefulness is something that must be experienced to be believed, but trust me, I have never been as grateful as I am now.

I love and cherish everything I ever shared with my mum, and I miss her dearly. Thank you, mum. I am truly grateful for everything, for without you, there would be no me.