And Second Place goes too……

I wonder if realising makes acceptance of the fact you are in second place any easier. I have known for several years that the eventuality of gradualness has brought me to this place. I am not complaining it is the natural order of events in life. Why am I thinking of it now, I hear you ask. Well the short answer is that my baby is away working in a place where her day is our night and while I am pottering about she should be catching up on her beauty sleep.

I am counting the hours until she arrives back in our time zone. I won’t be at the airport to meet her as that privilege belongs to the Love of her life. Perhaps we shall not see each other for several weeks but hearing her voice on the phone and knowing she has landed safely on this island will please me very much.

I am reminded of the first time Elly went away without her dad and me. It was a school trip to York. She was nine years old. We drove her to Larne to meet with her school pals and teachers for the ferry trip to Scotland. Once in Stranrear they boarded a coach for York. Children did not have mobile phones back then so we had to wait until her return on the Friday for any news of the week’s adventure. The young folk were discouraged from phoning home during the week in case it made them homesick.

We were back in Larne in good time to see the ferry sail into port. My husband’s footsteps and whistling speeded up as we joined the group of parents happily waiting to be reunited with the weary travellers.

Elly looked, happy, tired and as if she had not washed her face for a week! We were given a run down on the trip in the three minutes it took to walk to the car (she still does this and you have to listen well or you may never hear again half the details!).

As we drove home she was very quiet, so I turned round and discovered that she was quietly crying to herself. I asked if she was alright and she said “Yes” I asked if she was happy to be home and she sniffled “Yes!” Confused I asked why she was crying. Through her tears she told us, that as soon as she got into the car with us away from everyone else, she realised how much she missed us!

I have given my baby her wings; she uses them well and often. But that “Hi Mum!” when she returns from a trip puts a skip in my step and a song in my heart.

Roll on Saturday!