Sonia’s Story
Sonia’s Mum is a transformational love story between a mentally complex mother and the daughter who adored her. I want to share these deeply personal and funny stories so that we can raise awareness for how challenging it is for many people who’ve had mentally ill parents and have struggled to come to terms with their own issues.
Sonia on BBC Radio 2
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Watch Sonia on 'The Moment'
Click here to see Sonia appear on Maxine Mawhinney’s ‘The Moment.’
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Take five
Mum passed five years ago and it seems like the day before yesterday. I stayed and talked to her for hours after she died and even though I know she’s gone, I always feel her mischievous presence everywhere. I’m sitting in the chemo clinic waiting for treatment and...
The chemo chameleon
“You’re just like you’re mother” or “ Meet the mother, know the daughter”. Sentences I lived in dread of hearing until Mum and I came to really understand and honour each other once she reached 80 and was placed by the mental health authorities into a secure care...
Children’s Mental Health Week
I danced, sang, and did anything to distract people from my mum's crazy behaviour and until recently, I thought this was normal and "cute". However, conversations with a therapist who is helping me process the death of four close friends and the sudden passing of my...
Twinkle, Twinkle, Giant Star
I wrote a little poem for my darling Dad's funeral and nearly got through it without crumbling into a soggy heap. For safety I printed out two sheets of A4 - one with "We apologise for the interruption", followed by "Normal service will be resumed soon." When I lost...
Writer’s blog
"Neither am I." quipped Peter Cook when he met a man who said he was writing a book. A great agent friend of mine said he had a cupboard full of clients who were "just finishing." theirs. My beloved husband is compiling showbiz anecdotes to go into his book and I...
Flights of Precious Angels
When my mumbelievable mum died if felt fitting to remember her with a golden plaque on a wall of remembrance, as she was a woman who spent her life breaking them down. She didn't give a hoot about protocol, socially acceptable behaviour or speaking her mind. The...
Mumbelievably emotional
"It'll be quite emotional", they said. "No, I'm sure it won't." said I. "You'll need to dig deep." they said. "I've spent my lifetime talking about this, so I doubt it." said I. "Do you ever listen to grown-ups?" they asked. "Rarely" said I. Deep down, I've always...
Makeup, Making Up and Making it Up
When we got to the elephant enclosure Mum disappeared for a few minutes and re-appeared with a bag full of pastries which we all fed to the elephants. Nobody questioned it and we were all about to move on when a security guard “had a word” with Mum and looked quite serious. It turned out that she had gone into the canteen, found people who were eating pastries and convinced them to hand them over so we could feed the elephants with them. Somebody complained, hence security guard, but as nothing had been stolen and people had actually handed over said pastries, there was no case to be answered. Mum had apparently called the security guard “Grumpy guts” as we all made our way to the penguins and it wasn’t until Sara re-told the story that I vaguely remembered the incident.
Tell your story!
My precious mum, Margaret Beldom, passed away peacefully on 12th November. She loved hearing all the stories that people shared about their own lives with people with mental health issues. A new conversation is starting, and it’s extraordinary. Please read “Surprise, surprise” and share some stories of your own.