My Life on a Plate

Bon Voyage My Son

I’m sure there are some days of our lives we all dread. We know for certain some things are going to happen, yet we have no idea when or where. Other things we face with trepidation yet are aware exactly when they will take place. We can push them to the back of our minds; tell ourselves we’ll think about that tomorrow and yet in our hearts we know the day we’ve dreaded will arrive. Well, tomorrow will be one such day for me.

Later today we’ll be taking our son Paul down to Heathrow and staying over to say our goodbyes at the airport on Saturday morning when he and friend Mark will be setting off on the first stage of their travelling. There could possibly be another alert at Heathrow, but this time it will be from floods after some serious leakage.

They will arrive in Hong Kong at seven the following morning and no doubt we’ll be sitting back home around midnight our time, tracking the landing of their plane on the internet. From Hong Kong, they’ll be backpacking across Asia, travelling through Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Bali. The second stage of their trip will be a flight to Australia next February.

On Sunday hubby and I will be flying out to Portugal with friends for a week’s holiday. It seemed a good idea at the time of booking to help lift our spirits.

I just hope I don’t fall apart. Oh, I know they all fly the nest eventually and I realise we’ve been lucky to keep him so long living at home while he’s saved for this trip, but when your only chick is on the other side of the world and you know it’s going to be a hell of a long time before you see him again, well it hurts, it hurts a hell of a lot.

So, I’m not sure how much time I’ll have to visit WDC between now and our return from Portugal, but I’ll be thinking of my friends here particularly as the anniversary of September 11th approaches, wondering what’s going on in Blogville and taking comfort in the fact I know you’ll help me through this shaky patch until it becomes easier to accept. In the words of an old song, ‘I’ll get by with a little help from my friends.’

So, I dedicate this entry to my son Paul. This is the message I have printed on a card I hope he’ll carry with him -

‘I love you son. I hold you and your happiness within my heart each and every day. I am so proud of you and so thankful for the years that have given me so much to be thankful for. If I were given the chance to be anything I wanted to become, there is nothing I would rather be than your parent. And there is no one I would rather have as my son.’

Oh GAWD – pass the tissues again.

Cheers Paul, have a few for me son, the light of my life. Take care, stay safe and be happy. And the same to all my friends here.