Cold Hands, Warm Heart

Tommorow, I am going to the funeral of somebody who can only be described as "One of God's Better People" - thank you Mr Robbie Williams for that one.
These two ladies, did more for more people than anybody else I know. And they did more for my family than anybody will ever know. I remember them as always being in my life, since I was tiny. They gave us clothes out of their jumble, and books, always lots of books. I credit Myra for my love of reading books she used to always give me ones that used to be her favourite when she was little. And I remember the time we were at a Salvation Army do, I must have been about 7 or something, and somebody told me my dress was beautiful, and I said in a loud voice "It's from Myra and Margaret's jumble sale" Hahaha my mum nearly died of embarrassment.
There used to be about 20 kids in their little flat on Thorpedge every Sunday, perched on chairs and tables and tops of chest of drawers, singing songs and listening to stories about Jesus.

"If I were a butterfly, I’d thank you Lord for giving me wings
If I were a robin in a tree, I’d thank you Lord that I could sing
If I were a fish in the sea, I’d wiggle my tail and I’d giggle with glee
But I just thank you Father for making me, me
 

For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile
You gave me Jesus and you made me your child
And I just thank you Father for making me, me

If I were an elephant, I’d thank you Lord by raising my trunk
If I were a kangaroo, You know I’d hop right up to you
If I were an octupus, I’d thank you Lord for my fine looks

But I just thank you Father for making me, me

For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile
You gave me Jesus and you made me your child
And I just thank you Father for making me, me

If I were a wiggly worm, I’d thank you Lord that I could squirm
If I were a fuzzy wuzzy bear, I’d thank you Lord for my fuzzy, wuzzy hair
If I were a crocodile,  I’d thank you Lord for my great smile

But I just thank you Father for making me, me

For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile
You gave me Jesus and you made me your child
And I just thank you Father for making me, me "

And then we'd get split up into age groups for lessons and we'd learn all about Bible stories and do activities - all in their living room and bedroom and kitchen. They gave up their house to us, and gave us all biscuits. A lot of kids started coming just for the free biscuits, but they stayed coming for the lessons.

When I couldn't get in a decent school, these ladies looked after me for a month until my mum managed to get me in one. We used to haul the jumble to the wall by York House and spread it out and sell it to everyone. They used to tell me how much to charge people for it, but they always sold it cheaper than that. They gave me my first job in the post office at Christmas, helping sort out the toys for the Christmas club they had set up to help people save up for things gradually for Christmas. They used to come and help look after our house when my dad worked away and my mum was working too and there were us 4 kids to look after - I used to tidy my bedroom before they came otherwise I would get in trouble for not helping look after my mum, and then Myra and Margaret would come down and say "Dawn Martin I don't know how you sleep at night your bed is full of teddies" haha.

My sister used to live with them for a bit whilst she was doing her exams and she says if it wasn't for them she wouldn't be where she is now. Myra used to say, "My mum gave me a cup of tea after school and I sat down and did my homework then and there, and you'll do the same and you'll make something of your life".

I feel, like I've let them down. When Adam was a toddler I took him to see them, I promised that I would come to see them often and that he wouldn't become all grown-up without them knowing. But I didn't, and now he's 7, and I have Jessica who is nearly 2 and they've not even met her. And now it's too late, Margaret is gone. But I'm not going to let them down, I am going to make something of my life. They gave me so much, they gave me values and they gave me opportunities and they gave me work ethics. And I'll not let them down, I'll bring my children up right, and I'll take them to see Myra, and I'll carry on studying and I'll make something of my life.

Tomorrow, I will be remembering all of the wonderful things Margaret and Myra did, and I'll be saying goodbye to Margaret. But she will never be gone, she will live on in the hearts of all those children in Thorpedge, and all the people she helped to cloth, and the people at the Salvation Army that she was there for. And i will tell my children about her, and tell them that helping people, is what everybody should do. And, I'll tell them what Margaret always used to say - "Cold Hands, Warm Heart". And she'll be watching, and she'll be proud of me.