Today is a relatively easy day to celebrate as I’m named after my great grandma, Emelia Hamill. She was was my fathers, mothers mother. She was a proper pioneer women in Canada, full of stories of coming across the country in covered wagons and riding to school on a horse. She was also one of the toughest and warmest people I’ve ever known. She lived to 102 years old and I was incredibly fortunate to have her in my life for 18 years. A lot of people don’t get that long with their grandparents let alone their great grandparents.
I didn’t see her very often as she lived in Canada and I grew up in the UK but every year or so I’d go out for a few weeks and we’d spend time together. Right up until the end she was surprisingly spritely, even when she had to eventually go into a nursing home, and never lost her curiosity and interest for life and other people.
This is her with my grandma next to her and my dad (the smallest baby) in about 1958.
And this is her meeting me, her first great grandchild, at Christmas 1990. I would have been about 3 months old.
Namesake day...10/10, I love being named after her. My family is full of tough women and I like being connected with someone so wonderful through my name. Maybe one day I’ll have a great granddaughter named after me!