'Even the fiercest, toughest girls responded to your unfeigned kindliness, your motherly affection. With hindsight I see how much you would have liked children.'

Even the fiercest, toughest girls responded to your unfeigned kindliness, your motherly affection. There’s sadness in remembering that, because I see how much you would have liked children. I don’t know if you realised how important you were.