Why this particular number?
“I just think this is a very beautiful song, and I hope that everyone I leavebehind can take a little comfort from it. When I heard it on the radio, italways went up a notch. When I saw my sons told me I want to play this songwhen I’m carried into the funeral home, they both cried. That seems like proofof a good choice.”
And what does it say about your life?
“I have not had an easy life. I am a skipper’s child and had to go to boardingschool with the nuns as a little girl, so that was not fun. Getting pregnantat a young age meant that I had to get married at the time, but that man wasgood at no sides. He wasn’t always nice and I had to spread my legs threetimes a day. At first I thought that was part of the job, but after sevenyears I had had enough. Then I was alone for twelve years, with my threechildren, until I put the personal ad in the Telegraaf.
Paul wrote a nice letter without language errors, because I am sensitive tothat. He clearly wasn’t looking for a housekeeper and talked about his kids aschamps. ‘I must have that’, I thought. And luckily it turned out to be love atfirst sight. We have been married for almost forty years now and are a blendedfamily with a total of six children. Two children had already left the house,so we lived together with four children. That is adjusting and a bit of giveand take, but that went fine. We never argued, and still don’t. His daughterfeels like my daughter, she comes here very often. Really sweet and nice.”