I never thought that within 2 years, my life could change so much. First came the birth of our 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 three younger sisters. We had a great childhood, and even though things were financially challenging at times, Mum and Dad always provided us with a warm and welcoming home.
Mum was my best friend. We would talk nearly every day, and we never once had a crossword with each other. The respect that we 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 realised 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 the best ways I found to get through this last year was to plan our family holiday to Bali. The hours of searching the Internet for flights, accommodation, and a list of things to do motivated me 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 plane tickets and spending money at their 50th birthday party. We saved 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, knowing the joy of having a well-planned holiday. It’s not the sort you find in the travel agent brochures but one you see when you chat to and read people’s experiences. So here I share with you my holiday planning, which comes with rolling along with kids.
Kate xx
