This week on the blog, we have a heartfelt piece from our Community Correspondent, Laura. She has written a few words in memory of Lorna Cosh, a fellow Mind Waves Community Correspondent who recently passed away.
Being a Mind Waves Community Correspondent is more than writing blogs. It’s meeting around a table, sharing insight, with homemade cake and a sandwich or two. Sharing and standing up for what we believe is right or being that person who supports all who they touch.
Lorna Cosh was that woman for me. At first it was like “wow she is a scary lady”.
I’m laughing because Lorna had layers, the more you peel back the clearer she became. Lorna could fill a room with tears of laughter. She was an incredible visionary and advocate for women’s health, cats, grandchildren. Anything that life throws at you, Lorna took it on with gusto.
The tears I have now are from grief, to hear the saddest news of her passing, has left a hole in my heart. Taken too soon from everyone that knew of her. Lorna touched everyone she ever met. Her phone was always at the ready to show pictures of her incredible family, her grandchildren and the cats, images of her son Darren and daughter-in-law. Lorna doted on them and we all loved to see that beaming big smile come alive when she shared with us.
Lorna had an incredible way of communicating, and was all action in putting things right in a way nobody else could. There was no falseness, just a purity of honesty, that is in the DNA of a Glasgow woman. A lot like my late mother but younger. (I need to say the younger part, because I can hear her telling me off). I’m laughing because she was a teacher of all things those strong women are, that glazing outer coat of Teflon, but inside made of marshmallow. Soft and Gooey! Always dressed, make-up on, hair done. Always turning up and apologies if she couldn’t make it.
For me personally I have a happy memory of our Mind Waves Christmas Lunch/Theatre Day. I will never forget Lorna sitting up in a box in the Pavilion Theatre and they were like something out of the Muppets up there. We all let our inner child out at that pantomime.
We all went onto the Chinese Buffet. Loaded plates of food, sharing stories and what was really good to eat. Lorna and I shared a passion for good grub. Also a sweet tooth. I came back with a loaded bowl of all things sweet, including swirls of whippy ice-cream. With her stoma and sensitivity, she said couldn’t have any because of the pain.
Then she said “Sod it, I’m having some”.So in my mind I assumed she’d have a wee bit of cake and a dod of icecream. Well that lassie needed a forklift for what got put down.I choked and said, “you are going to be in agony”, and she replied: “no matter how small a portion I have I will pay the price, so I may as well enjoy it”.
That was the Lorna that I got to know. I will miss you Lorna. We all will in our wee group. It was an honour to have known you. I thank you for reminding us to shine, even when life is just a flicker. Thanks for the laughter and love that you brought to that big table. Now we just need to get a street named after you and a statue to remember you by.
Love and light always, till we meet again, sweet friend.
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