It is our last few days here, in our home by the sea. Since I last wrote our time has been spent in a flurry of activity. Like a complex dance we have weaved our way through the days finding balance between packing and sorting and being out and about with friends.
Always time for our beach
Our friends and those closest to us have been such a wonderful support, and these last few days see our excitement and energy growing. Through our exhaustion we see the outcome of our hard work. The house is packed up now, with the exception of a few plates and cups. The furniture is virtually gone. By the end of today our home will be empty. All that will be left are the shadows of time that hold our memories, our history, our story so far.
This weekend, our last weekend here we were at SB’s Mum and Step Dad’s place just out of our city. I sat under the giant Pagonia tree and listened to the wind blow through its enormous leaves. They make a deep, mystical rustling sound and as I closed my eyes I felt the breeze on my face and my ears picked up the small wind-chime’s musical sound off in the distance. The magpies sang with their familiar warble and the cicada’s happily chirped in the sun. It was a moment I took to just relax.
Down in the Country
The children ran around the large garden. BB had been playing with the old washing basket trolley. An unassuming, rusty, fragile structure left ignored for decades. This ‘thing’ has become a fundamental connection for BB to this home. FB chased after her Grandad and I could hear her in the distance calling to him ‘Grandad, Grandad’ as she ran to catch up.
For me in this moment I am calm and relaxed. My hairdresser was doing my hair last week. We were in the midst of furniture being removed from the house, with me sitting on the floor due to a lack of chairs and she said to me ‘you just look so calm!’. Yes I suppose I do, because in this moment I am. I haven’t always been though. Why, just that morning I had felt so overwhelmed I just did not know how we would be able to take the break and go away to the country on the weekend. I was up early and picturing the mayhem that would be the day. My mind was processing every detail so I could maximise every moment. So I did. This meant the children and I could take our last train trip into the city to our favourite chocolate shop. We then had a magical play in a gorgeous sensory playground in Leederville before heading home for more moving mayhem.
Saying ‘see you again soon’ to our favourite places
So now, where we are up to is this. After another busy week, I have a fresh perspective on what is left to be done and I feel such relief. I also feel such joy in our achievement. The children had a great week. We are nearly there, we can see the end clearly and as we drove away to the country we talked excitedly about our new life, how at the end of this next week we would be there! What will the curtains we requested look like in our new home? What will be our first meal – lets make it symbolic, what does our first day look like at the moment.