Mamma

08.05.1945 Norway was liberated from Nazi rule after five years of occupation. To celebrate this, the Norwegian flag is flown on this day.

08.05.1963 Julie Heiberg Danbolt Ajer, my mum, was born. When she was little, she thought all the flags were for her.

Today would have been her 50th birthday. If she had reached 50, she would have seen my older brother about to finish his bachelor's degree. She would have seen me finishing high school (equivalent to UK A-levels) and seen me well into my bachelor's degree. She would have seen my younger brother finishing secondary school and high school and starting studying law. She would have seen my sister finishing primary and secondary school and starting high school. She would have seen us all grow up so much. I think I am still overall the same person, but I have also changed quite a bit over the past few years. I hope you'd be proud of me, mum.

You're my ideal for what a good person should be like, and even though I often fail at being as kind and selfless as you, you're the ideal I strive to reach. It's hard without you, and I sometimes feel quite lost, but together with my dad you managed to instill many good values in us while you were alive, you had time to teach us so many things and shape us as persons. I wish we could have had you around so much longer, but you've ensured that no matter what, we'll manage.

I wish you were here. I wish we were celebrating together today.  But we'll manage. We'll always manage. My only hope is that they're throwing you a really good party in heaven. Because you deserve it.

I hope you know how much we love you.