[Margaret Pilkington]

When Nicola was having her second baby I told her that there wasn't much to bring a child into the world for....and you know my feelings on babies......I wasn't keen on them.
She told me that she didn't want her son to be on his own in the eventuality of his parents demise.....she wanted him to have someone with whom he had a close bond.....and it was then she said she wished she had had a brother or a sister.

I had never considered such things when she was growing up.......I felt that she would be very self reliant......I am independent and self reliant....and felt that these were traits she would inherit.
I also know that having brothers and sister does not always work out how you would want it to....although I am one of seven children, there is only me that really does the caring stuff for my mum.....OK two of my siblings are in Oz.......but the others - all boys, seem to have little interest in how Ma is, or whether there is anything they could do for her.
Some families just do not get on at all....and this can be a cause of much unhappiness.