Happy Birthday, Mum!
I’ve said it many times before but it’s always worth repeating: My brothers and I are very fortunate to have Margaret Anne Bayly (née Sparkes) as our mother. She is a beautiful, wise and strong woman who extends care, kindness and love to everyone she encounters.
I love you, Mum, and can’t thank you enough for who you are and for all you continue to be and give to me, my brothers, our family, and so many others whose lives are fortunate enough to be touched by yours. Wishing you the happiest of birthdays! 💗
This is mum’s first birthday since she began her journey of recovery from the stroke she experienced back in April. I continue to thank God for her ongoing recovery and for the ways she is participating in this recovery through her chosen attitudes and actions. As I’ve said previously, they are attitudes and actions of grace and gratitude, surrender and trust. I’m grateful too for those in her life who are helping facilitate mum’s healing – our family, her friends, and the staff at the assisted living home where she now resides.
Above: With Mum and some of her Port Macquarie friends during my most recent visit back to Australia – June-July 2025.
In celebrating Mum’s birthday over the years at The Wild Reed, I’ve shared quite a number of photos from the Bayly family archives. In fact, I’ve pretty much exhausted my supply. So if you’d like to take a wonderful “trip down memory lane,” as they say, then click on any of the links below. You won’t be disappointed!
See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Thanks, Mum!
• Home to Be With Mum (2025)
• June 2025 Vignettes
• Family Time in Guruk (2025)
• Last Days in Australia (2025)
• Happy Birthday, Mum – 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2018 | 2017 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009
• Congratulations, Mum and Dad! (2009)
• Catholic Rainbow (Australian) Parents (2006)
• Remembering and Celebrating Dad
