Farewell (again)

I've started the clock.. 30min with a theme..

I spent yesterday with family and friends having a BBQ get together to say farewell to my Mum and her partner (the term boyfriend seems a little young, but that could be just me). Tomorrow at about 10am they will be pulling up in my driveway and parking their caravan in my front yard for their last 3 nights here. It has been a mad couple of weeks for them and as a result, for Little boy and me too.

Now there are several reasons I'm counting this down so eagerly. Of course I'm happy that my Mum's dreams of travelling the country are coming true for her. Of course I'm happy that she has finally found someone (initially online no less) that shares her dream and has helped to make it a reality. Of course I'm happy that, after this week, I will no longer have my mother living in walking distance of my house and feeling like I have her looking over my shoulder every day!

My relationship with my Mum is better now than it ever has been. We speak on an almost daily basis if not several times a day. There is a lot of laughter within our communication, quite a lot of which is at her expense and her "senior moments". But, there are still comments, looks and actions my mother makes which make me cringe like a scared child. I've never felt that what I do is enough for her. There has always been criticism both direct and indirect. As I've gotten older I've learnt to accept this as a part of who she is and I no longer bite. For the most part I don't let it get to me, but I've never quite been able to shake that watched feeling, she's always been just there. So, I think not seeing her for months (at least) at a time will do us the world of good (or me at least).

Then of course has been the added bonus of inheritance, without the death. I remember many times over the years, both my sister and I would "claim" something of Mum's as ours when she died. Little things for the most part. The inevitable condensing of Mum's entire life into a caravan has meant she's had to part with most of her material possessions. So int he last few weeks I've inherited all those items I'd claimed, I'm still finding places for them.

My Mum has always been a collector. She hated to throw things out, she may need them for something, sometime or she simply may have attached a memory to something. While I was down helping her to sort through the last few boxes of bits and pieces the other day, I held up two feathers and asked why she had them. As it turned out they were feathers from my Aunties chickens that Mum had picked up on a visit to my Aunties now old property. It broke her heart to tell me I could throw them out. Later, she asked me to go through a folder which was marked "TED" and see if there was anything I wanted out of it. I couldn't believe it when I opened it to find such treasures as torn off permission forms from when I was in year 10 in high school.

I got a phone call this morning, apparently Mum found another folder and this one was marked "TED Important!". Mum found both mine and Little Boy's borth certificates. I told her I much preferred blaming the ex for the "loss" of Little Boy's..

Well the timer has just gone off so I'll leave you with this little bit of conversation from the car ride to our BBQ yesterday...

Me: Don't worry, if any get in our way the cricket bat is in the back, I can always whack them over the head.. (I was referring to strangers, no one of importance)

Mum: (half giggling but honestly a little shocked) Oh Ted, you shouldn't be saying that in front of Drew.. (looks at Little Boy) should she?

Drew: NO! (turns to look at me rather seriously) you could break my cricket bat!

;-)