Many would believe that my life was perfect, but it never was especially at the beginning. The family I had; the blood family should have been my family, but it wasn’t to be. Life was tough growing up, I certainly didn’t have a fun upbringing, but that story is for another day.
Where I am now has taken a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get here. I lived rough during that time, even living on the streets and having to fend of threats and other bad omens. I left my homeland New Zealand many years ago to try and better myself and to try and leave the bad memories behind. But they followed me here and all I could do was take control and learn to live life as best as I could.
Arriving in Australia was the new start I needed. I lived in and around Sydney before moving to Queensland and finally I made the move to Western Australia.
It was here, that I decided to start my own business. It was here that during that time I met Ella. Ella cared enough to show me how to be my best. She taught me how to prune roses and encouraged me to keep at it. She was there for me and took me on when know one else had the time for me.
Ella taught me how to put my trust into what I was doing and to grow my business. She knew me when I first started out on my push bike and trailer. She was still there as my business grew and she encouraged me to be the person I try to be every day. I don’t trust a lot of people, but I put my trust in her. Ella wasn’t just a mentor, my mentor, she was my friend.
Eventually over time, Ella and her family became my family. When Ella was unwell, I tried to see her as much as possible and I didn’t realise how close we were. She told me she believed in me and that I could do what I was doing and do it well. She encouraged me to keep going. I realised that Ella was family that I didn’t have before, and her words have stuck with me.
A lot of people wonder why I keep her memory alive, and it is because she believed that I could continue growing my business and as I grew, my confidence to do better would improve. I made a promise to Ella that I would keep going and build my business up for her.
When Ella died, I felt my world crumble. She was my rock and kept me going, but I didn’t even want to get out of bed. I didn’t want to venture out and see people, I wanted to hide away. And one day, I remembered my promise to Ella, and I got up, dusted myself off and got back out there. I am so glad I did that because her memory keeps me going every day.
I have learnt one very important lesson in life and that is family doesn’t have to be blood related. Family can be people who have opened their hearts to you and have welcomed you into their world. Ella and her family have done just that and every year we take time to celebrate life and remember Ella for the mother, friend, mentor and wonderful lady she was.
In Memory of Ella
14-08-2010