I never thought that within 2 years my life could change so much. First came the birth of my beautiful baby girl, then the devastating news that my Mum’s benign pancreatic tumour had spread, followed by her death 12 months later and then my hubby started on a 4:1 FIFO roster.
How does one get through this? A lot of tears, laughter and wine!!! I look back on my life and think how lucky I have been. I grew up on a farm with my Mum, Dad and 3 younger sisters. We had a great childhood, even though at times things were financially tough, Mum and Dad always provided us with a warm and welcoming home.
Mum was my best friend. We would talk nearly everyday and we never once had a cross word with each other. The respect that us girls had for her meant that she knew everything because we never felt like we were going to be judged or yelled at. I hope to become a Mum like her, I have big shoes to fill.
It has now been over one year since she passed. I have survived, even though I never thought it would be possible, with a new realisation that time does not heal. Instead I learnt the art of getting through each day as best I could and realise that every great moment will always have a tinge of sadness in the air as my Mum, my best friend, isn’t there to share the moment with me.
So what does all this have to do with rolling along with kids?!? One of my best ways I found to get through this last year was to plan our family holiday to Bali. The hours trawling the Internet for flights, accommodation and list of things to do gave me motivation to get through each day. It was also one of the last things I did for my Mum before she became very unwell. Along with my three sisters, I organised a trip to the UK for Mum and Dad, surprising them with the plane tickets and spending money at their 50th birthday party. We saved up for 5 years each putting $10 a week into a savings account.
The photos and video we have of their trip are so very precious but most of all I remember the phone calls and chats we would have about planning the trip. Where would they go, where would they stay? Even though it meant endless hours searching the Internet I loved every moment of it knowing the joy that comes from having a well planned holiday. Not the sort you find in the travel agent brochures but one you find when you chat to and read people’s experiences. So here I share with you my holiday planning, among other things, that come with rolling along with kids.
Kate xx
