I have just had a wonderful eleven day holiday in Sydney compliments of Son C1 and his wife D1. Talk about being spoilt! It has been one of the best Mother’s day and birthday presents EVER!
But the extra special thing about this trip has been the opportunity of taking my 85 year old Mother with me. Mum has been wanting to come to Sydney and see family for ages and this time everything just worked out nicely.
In the eleven days I had many moments that I will treasure in my heart forever. The cuddles with our two month old little grandson, visiting eight year old grand daughter G3 at school and being shown all her school work for the year on display and being extra spoilt with gifts from amazing seventeen year old G1 (our eldest grandchild). I also had very special times with D1, and then C1 when he got home from his work trip to Florida. And in this holiday, we also had two precious evenings with Ben and Chloe. My mother/grandmother soul has been satisfied ….ahhhhhh
I wasn’t sure how Mum was going to cope with the travelling and then all the extra activities we would do while in Sydney, but I was amazed with her. I know she got very tired at times and probably had some pain in her body, but she pushed herself and kept up all the time, determined to not be a bother and to also do everything we were doing. There were a few times that I had to remind her to get her walking stick out for safety reasons. These became cheerful reminders as Mum would say she was waiting for me to ask her where her stick was. But the last thing I wanted was to see Mum hurt herself and one fall could have been very bad!
We did have an extra special moment on our flight from Auckland to New Plymouth (home). I will never forget it! We were watching a movie on my galaxy, both sharing one set of earplugs to listen. So we had to sit pretty close and listen carefully with one ear. The movie was a real tear jerker, and when the saddest moment came in the film, here was Mum and I, both moping up our tears. Mum commented about how alike we are at being moved emotionally at movies. During the mop up time I looked very closely at Mums hands. I held her hands momenterily and looked at how crooked her little fingers had become. I felt so sad! My mother’s hands had suffered from the years of hard work. Her hands had wrapped around each of her children with love many many times. Oh what stories they could tell. But here they are now all bent and wrinkled. They have served her well but they have aged and they now cause her pain. I realise that this is definitely the winter season of Mum’s life, and also realise that I am now heading into the Autumn season. How quickly life flies by! Am I ready for what happens during this winter season? No I am not! I don’t think I will ever be ready. I love my Mum and Dad so much.
The sweetest thing I ever saw was when we arrived back at New Plymouth. Walking to the car to go home I turn around and there is my Mum and Dad walking along each holding a handle of Mum’s carrybag. It was only 2.5kgs (I know because I weighed it), but Dad was helping her carry it. I guess he knows Mum’s crooked little fingers, and how painful they can be, way better than I do, after all they have now been married for 66 years. They are amazing!
I will keep that image locked in my brain forever. It was so sweet! This cute little old couple still showing their love for each other, sharing the load and both having wonderful smiles on their faces at the joy of being together again.
Yes I got way more than I expected from these eleven days!