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Memories of Mam

"I went for a walk in the rain, me and my friend Buster. I needed to clear my head, though I had little hope of that. My mother - Mam - had just lost a long fight to cancer. I was so relieved that her pain had gone but heartbroken that she wasn't with me anymore.

She was a strong person and for some time I had been strong for her. Less than two months earlier she had lost her own mother. She needed a blood transfusion to be well enough to be at the funeral. I can still feel how tightly she squeezed my hand.

I was recently given some photographs of her from when she was young. This is how I like to think of my mother, not as that ill person she was before she had died.

She was a great influence on me as I grew up and she still is today. She's in my mind and in the things I do. She's spoken about and remembered.

My graduation: the opportunity for an education that she'd been denied. She's missing from the photographs but she was there and she was proud.

Happy times with my friends and my family. We'll sometime talk about her and sometimes cry and laugh at the same time. There are people that I'd like her to meet, particularly one. Mam would have been so happy. I'm disappointed that they didn't have the chance to know each other. But I try not to be sad about it.

I'm thankful for her life and for what she gave me. She played a huge role in making me who I am. I still sometimes walk in the rain I'll think of her and I'll smile."

Please tell us a little about yourself.
I'm 25 years old and live with my girlfriend Helina in Cardiff, though I'm originally from the depths of west Wales.

What's your story about?
A celebration of my mother's life. I wanted to show that you can be thankful and celebrate life without being overwhelmed by grief.

What did you find most rewarding about the workshop?
Being creative and getting to know people. A great experience.