‘Our Big Girl’ left home last week. She and ‘her partner’ left their old home in the hands of its new owners and drove out of Melbourne towing her new home (a spanking new little…..very little….Jayco Pop Top Journey Outback caravan). They’re taking 12 months worth of leave (accrued annual, long service and sick) to do The Big Lap. Yes they’ve done all the planning, sold up everything and anything they didn’t ‘love’ including house, rented a storage unit for things they couldn’t part with, and are now off to drive around (and discover) our Wide Brown Land.
This is a photo of my Mum and Dad taken many years ago – I think at the time they were on holiday in Skegness (a seaside town on the east coast of England). Dad stayed on in the RAF after the war which meant we lived in many places, and after we all left home they became great travellers enjoying time away now and again both in the UK and in Europe. They did venture ‘down under’, loved it here but found it a long way – nearly 24hrs travelling as opposed to just a few across The Channel and beyond.
Now this is a photo of The Golfer’s Mother and Father (my in-laws) taken many years ago – at the time they were spending a few days visiting one of his sisters, a four hour drive from their home. They weren’t one for ‘holidays’ away from home and I remember my sister-in-law writing and saying how her Mother was on tenterhooks the whole time she was there. Seemingly she had a very relieved look on her face as they were leaving for home.
Both of these couples had their birthdays and also the days of their deaths in the first half of the year so we both (The Golfer and I) can be a bit pensive during those months . It all seems to come to a head about this time of the year and we need time to ourselves.
Amongst many things, my parents gave me a love of music and dance , love, laughter and travel – my in-laws gave me a respect for a simple way of life. My father in-law was a country boy born in the small rural village of Boxted in Essex (East Anglia) and for most of his working life was a chimney sweep.
Sometimes when I look at this saying I have hanging on the wall (author unknown)
There are but two things we can give our children;
One is roots, the other is wings.
it makes me think of them and the legacy they left of being confident enough to be adventurous as well as comfortable enough to enjoy life both at home and away.
So very different -yet so very much alike – both couples had one thing in common.
To see me, The Golfer and our family enjoy life and prosper
When we told them we were leaving, migrating to Australia.
and it was possible they wouldn’t see us again
‘Go for it’ they all said.
Move on…live your new life
But never forget where you’ve come from
Sitting here with my early cup of tea I’m thinking of how many times I’ve wished my children well, sent them on their way to enjoy new lives with the reminder to remember their roots. Some have returned a little worse for wear needing home comforts/love for a while longer- others have revelled in new found freedom
How have you felt when ‘leaving’ has cropped up in your world
It’s a word with many emotions attached
~ ~ ~ ~
(Oh and OBG hasn’t gone far – their first planned stop was Bright in the High Country…..just 4hrs up the road. Plans for a few days stay have now been extended to 7 (and possibly more) courtesy of the statewide lockdown we here in Victoria have been put into, which isn’t too bad as there’s lots of things to do up there even at this time of the year with its cooler temps (-2c/29f overnight) .. ….except there are only 5 reasons they (like us) are allowed to leave home, straying from the van park for exercise is limited to 2hrs within a 5km radius. Pubs restaurants and cafes are closed so no pub lunches in front of blazing fires either)
Still Waters 