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This article was written on 02 Feb 2015, and is filled under Competitions.

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Win a Signed Copy of ‘Without My Mum’

I am really thrilled to be running a very special competition to giveaway a signed copy of ‘Without My Mum‘, a very special book written by Leigh Van Der Horst.

The wonderful Leigh has spent the past 3 years compiling the book which was released on the 29th January. As Leigh explains, “My mother died of cancer in 2008. I was 32 at the time with 3 young boys and it crushed me. The grief process took a huge toll on me, and all the while I had to continue to selflessly mother my boys and protect them from the heavy sadness. At the time of my mother’s diagnosis, I began to journal what I was going through and continued to do so right up until I felt that my soul had healed after her death. This book is a 3-part book that begins with my story, told through those journaled entries and summaries of events at the time”.

This book really is a must-read, for those who have lost their mother, suffered loss in their lives or for those looking to help those that have. The message is one very pertinent to Up All Hours, which is ‘you are not alone’. I am so lucky to have my mother with me but those who have lost their mother will likely agree that perhaps the only thing that can impact and shape a woman’s life with the same power as her mother’s love and guidance, is her mother’s death.

Withoutmymum

About the book

In Without My Mum, Leigh Van Der Horst shares her own honest, heartfelt story of losing her beloved mother to cancer in 2008. She invites us on a journey that is at times heartbreaking and others heartwarming, yet is ultimately comforting and inspiring. With genuine warmth and candor, Leigh tells of her transformative passage through devastating grief to rediscover and redefine her own identity.

Without My Mum reveals the sisterhood amongst motherless mothers. Featuring stories from mothers around the world, Without My Mum offers resounding reassurance that no motherless mother is ever alone. Leigh Van Der Horst further reaches out to her motherless ‘sisters’ supported by contributions of motherly wisdom from a collection of encouraging mothers world wide together with a host of inspiring popular personalities such as Jools Oliver, Lisa Wilkinson, Megan Gale, Amanda de Cadenet and Natalie Bassingthwaighte.

The motherless mother’s heart needs to know that she can and will move through grief to reclaim a fulfilling, grateful and loving life. Without My Mum addresses this need by providing a definitive source of emotional and practical resources specifically for women dealing with the loss of their mum.’

Leigh is a real inspiration, she lives gratefully every day and explains that this is the one major lesson she learnt from her mothers death, and she hopes to inspire others to do the same. Leigh can be found tapping away on her website www.leighvloves.com.

Competition details 

Leigh has kindly offered Up All Hours readers a chance to win a signed paperback copy of the book. This competition is open worldwide, with Leigh organising the postage and delivery. To enter is really simple. Just tell us in your own way , via a comment below, what your mum meant or means to you.

Competition closes at midnight on Monday 9th February 2015. A winner will be picked at random.

Much love, Leigh and Sam x

13 Comments

  1. Lucy
    February 3, 2015

    My mum was my rock all my life and I owe everything I have to her. She past away last year and I have vowed to keep her wonderful memory alive so my 2 year old little girl knows what an amazing Granny she has. xx

  2. Ben
    February 3, 2015

    My wife lost her mother 3 years ago and it devastated her. In memory of my mother in law who was a cracking old bird, I would love to win this book!

  3. Gokul
    February 4, 2015

    My mom means everything to me .She is my Best friend.She is always there when I need someone. She is selfless and always puts her family’s needs before her own.She loves me unconditionally and I’m beyond blessed to not only call her my mother, but my very best friend

  4. Pippa
    February 4, 2015

    We really do mark our live events by the ones we grew up with. My story is without my dad but echoes many of the same sentiments…why is my mum so awesome? By the way she handled my dad’s death – she is such an open, strong and honest woman

  5. Jane
    February 4, 2015

    I miss my Mum-she passed away last March after years of illness-I know in some way she is at peace, but it doesn’t make it easier not to miss her day by day. I’m now a week away from having my little baby girl- I can’t wait but I wish she was here to meet her.

  6. julie
    February 4, 2015

    3 years ago today i lost my mum, she was lovely and she was bad, she was stubborn, angry and sometimes down right outrageous… but she was my mum and i miss her, i miss her humour, i can still hear her jokes and my heart breaks every time i think of her. She had such a hard life but brought us up to be kind, loving and giving. All things i instill in my children because of her. Being a mum without a mum is one of the hardest lessons in life because no one warns you your genetic makeup changes forever :'(

  7. Wendy
    February 4, 2015

    My mum passed away in 2012 and it still seems like yesterday, sometimes I wake up and I can’t believe I won’t see her again.
    This is part of what I said at her funeral-
    Mum taught us lots of things…
    Mum taught us to care about the details, she always listened to all the details of our stories, about the people we met, the places we went, the things we saw and read and bought, and all the little things the kids did and said. She always remembered all the details too.

    Mum taught us swear words were not acceptable, even if a train derails almost in your back yard.
    She said there are lots of other words you can use.

    The last thing Mum taught us is to not waste time.
    Ask questions,tell your stories,read the books you want to read, tell people you love them,try not to swear and always listen to the details.

  8. Deborah
    February 4, 2015

    My mother passed away rather suddenly 3 weeks after my son was born. He was our first so it was very devastating. She suffered a brain hemorrhage and through her delirious state she kept talking about the baby shower that had been planned for that weekend. Needless to say the shower was canceled and we all gathered at her funeral instead. It’s been 10 yrs and I still miss my mom constantly. My daughter was only 8 months when my father passed 4 years later. I follow Leigh’s Instagram and I am inspired by her warmth and love of her family.

  9. Lorraine
    February 4, 2015

    I lost my Mum 25 years ago, and I still miss her in my life. I have an adopted Mum, and a wonderful as she is, she does not share the closeness I had with my Mum. My children have few memories of Mum, and it has saddened me that Mum was not here to share in the wonderful events of my children’s lives. My children were my Mum’s world and it hurts knowing she is no longer with us all.

  10. Alison
    February 4, 2015

    I lost my Mum 11 years ago, unexpectedly of a heart attack. No warnings and no time for goodbyes. Heartbroken doesnt really cover it 🙁 She was a selfless, warm and kind-hearted woman who did everything for her family and friends. She had a wicked sense of humour, and a few naughty jokes in her repertoire 🙂 I miss her beyond words, and I talk to my son (6yrs) about Nanny Sue all the time. She lives on through all her 4 children and 2 grandchildren. I very fortunately have an amazing mother-in-law who I feel very lucky to know and consider her, not just my mother-in-law, but also a best friend. How very lucky I am to have had/have these 2 amazing women in my life

  11. Christina
    February 5, 2015

    I was 13 when Cancer took my Mum from us. 22 years have since past, learning to live and breath without her. But she was such an amazing and strong person, with a powerful & loving presence, that her memory is something that has been with us throughout the years. I spent my teenage and early adult life grieving her absence and being angry at the world for taking her from us, I thought that I had dealt with all of that when I found I was about to become a Mother, I thought I’d be OK. But all through the labor she was on my mind, her song came on the radio on the drive home from hospital, My son would only stop crying when I hummed the tune to her favorite Rod Stewart song…..She was still somehow always there. My grief was so great for her during those first few months of my son’s life, I missed her, I wanted my son to know her….It really was not fair. But as time went on and my son grew and I was able to talk to him about her, it was like a healing process for me.
    My son is 6 now, but talks about his ‘Grandma’ who is in heaven as if he knows her. So I guess in a way she will always be with us in some form….her amazing, strong and beautiful spirit will carry though with my son.

  12. Linda
    March 1, 2015

    My mum was killed in a car accident when I was 13. Her death changed my entire life. There’s life before & after. I was a mummy’s girl & so grateful that I was now! I loved being with my mum, her cuddles & I adored everything about her. She was a strong but loving head of our family. She worked hard, had a successful career & was a one of a kind woman. Everyone loved & respected her. She’s my biggest role model in my life. Losing her was devastating. But it made me strong. I’m 43 now & I have an 8 year old son who has special needs. I needed my mum the most after he was born. And missed her terribly. I was overwhelmed & lost. Just missed having a mum to lean on. But I truly believe she has been with me every step of the way, loving & guiding me. I lile to think she had somethung to do with blessing me with my son. And I feel proud of the incredible challenges I’ve faced as a mother myself & how proud my mum is of me. I’m doing my best to live up to her example & I’m so grateful everyday that her love & my memories have helped mould me into the mother I am today, even 30 years after her death. I couldn’t ask for a more amazingly special mum. She changed my life in a million different ways.

  13. Tahlia
    April 12, 2015

    I lost my mum very suddenly almost 11 years ago when I was 9 years old. My mum was everything to me and will forever walk beside me. She was one of the most kind hearted and truly beautiful people ever. To make her proud of me is something I strive for everyday. I hope someday in the near future to be a mother myself and keep loving memory alight.

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