They called her brassy, big, loud and larger than life. Maude was a gentle and loving soul but this is not how she portrayed herself. Maud liked to wear tight fitting clothes over her well covered body. The more gentile women would tut as they walked past, they had decided from a distance that she was a woman of a certain kind and best to be avoided.
Maude fitted into the mould she had created, she wore far to much make up, far to many chains around her neck and wore her hair up with an added hairpiece, a look more fitting for a girl than a more mature woman. Maude created the personality she believed would get her through life, it had, it gave her the confidence she needed but never the love she desired. Maude always met the wrong man because she had no idea of how to attract the right one.
Maude’s childhood had been difficult, she had not experienced love from her parents, she always felt and was told she was an accident. She wasn’t wanted, she was ignored for the most part and verbally and physically abused at others. Maude left home at the earliest opportunity, falling for a local lad who showed her more interest than she’d experienced before. Maude was pregnant at fifteen and married at sixteen, a girl herself, she found herself responsible for a family.
Maude learnt how to work the system, her husband Bob put what money they had over the bar of the local tavern and if she was going to feed her family Maude needed to tell the odd tale or two. She realised early on that to be listened to and noticed she had to create something quite different, she had to hide any vulnerability, show no fear and charge at the world head on, Maude was certainly a force to be reckoned with if ever there was.
Maud had so many layers that she didn’t really know who she was, so many walls around her that even she couldn’t break them. Maude believed she fitted the lies she had created, she recognised herself in the person she had become. Maude had tried to cover her fragmented and difficult beginning in life in an attempt to become whole and yet the whole Maude created had nothing to do with the person she was. Maude was her own work of art and yet it was not in her original style, quite simply, Maude was a fake.
The day Maud was knocked over on that crossing was the day she went home, home to her childhood and home to who she really was. Stripped in hospital of her clothes, jewels and make up, Maude found herself. She found herself in the people she spoke to, she found herself in the kindness of the nurses and she found herself in the girl in the next bed who was interested in what she had to say.
Maude was in a coma for six weeks, it was felt unlikely she would survive, but she did, she did more than that she broke down her own walls. Somewhere in the space of the coma, in a place she was safe and at a time just right for her, Maude found home. A lifetime of being someone else, a brassy tart, evaporated. Maude survived and in surviving realised she didn’t need to create anymore, she could be herself.
Something about the respite from life gave Maude a second chance, gave her opportunity to recreate and in doing so she chose to be herself. Surrounded by care and love she felt at home, she allowed the love she had buried to resurface, the gentleness to cross her brow.
Maude’s recovery was slow but her transformation miraculous, a lifetime of lies got knocked over that day but Maude stood up.
The moral of this story is we all get knocked down, but each time we get up we are closer to ourselves.
lizalizaskysaregreyยฉ2017
First, I had no idea this happened. Secondly, what a brilliant story of recovering who she was! Thank you Liza for sharing. A great reminder to all of us that it’s not getting knocked down, but getting back up and going on that really is the story!
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Thanks Phyllis, thought something different might be fun ๐
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It was, I didn’t know that maude was in an accident. But interesting she did soul searching in a coma. Found that really interesting
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I was just having a play, didn’t really know where it was going myself!
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It worked hehe. Are you feeling Better?
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Thanks ๐ I’m still achy but not got the sickness and lethargy anymore. I also tried coffee again yesterday and was okay phew ๐
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lol@ coffee. I wouldn’t want to live without it. I enjoy it. Burns calories, is relaxing to me.. Glad your feeling better. No fun feeling off in any way ๐ Sides, your always on target so…
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I’m glad too, had more friends visiting today and off to visit my sister and nephew tomorrow so no time for sickness ๐
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Busy, busy, but fun fun fun! I’m delighted for you. Your surrounded by friends and family and it means worlds! That ode btw was mostly to you ๐ and your writing (liberties with books written) but you get my drift :):)
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So late catching up on posts, just read it and it’s beautiful!! As much as I love my weekend visits and busy life of late, I worry about missing out on fab posts. Need a big catch up day! xxx
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It’ll come. Your delightful ๐
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So are you my dear ๐ xx
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Thank you for the well written story and the happy ending. The moral of the story is so true!
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Thank you, I’m pleased you liked it and yes the message is true ๐
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Nicely written!
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Thanks ๐ I enjoyed the change
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Excellent!
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๐
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A different sort of post from you Liza, I enjoyed reading it, loved the way it turned round. It’s only a few years since my theme tune was the song ” I get knocked down but I get up again, ain’t nothing going to keep me down”. This was always playing in my head ๐
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Thanks Elaine, I’ve sung that song once or twice too ๐๐
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I was once told by a spiritual friend that one should never ever say bring it on ๐ณ
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Totally – my sister while in Ireland once having a dad time shouted up at the sky ‘what else you going to throw at me, go on’ and a car sped round the corner and missed her by a slither!
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๐ฌ note to self…… never use that line either ๐ณ
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๐ me neither
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Have emailed you moon alert ๐
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๐ญ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฉ
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Fabulous write. Just goes to show you that what we think of others, their actions, their behavior… Can So easily be off the mark. Often… We don’t even know ourselves.
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Absolutely, we are all in the process of finding ourselves xx
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Hope we enjoy the journey ๐
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Let’s hope so as it’s one we are going to take ๐
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Incredibly true.
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….and thank you xx
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You’re welcome ๐
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Great story!
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Thanks Leigha ๐
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You’re welcome!
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