Friday 28 January 2011

Time and Tide Once more.


Two weeks ago my daughter celebrated her sixteenth birthday.

For all of her life, apart from some time at the beginning when she shared ours, she has slept in a single bed - sometimes at the bottom of a bunk bed, later in her own room.

A year ago she was promised a new bed.

Today it arrived – you can’t rush these things.

On Sunday night as she packed her bag before a week sleeping at school, we discussed where this new bed would go and what would move – and suddenly she was in tears and overwhelmed.

Sobs cascading onto her carpet.

On Monday she said goodbye at the school gate looking like a confident and independent teenager.

Today her mum and I dismantled the old bed, packed the content of desk and wardrobe into boxes to facilitate moving them – and suddenly she was in tears and overwhelmed.

Mum.

I found her sitting in the kitchen holding a tiny pair of (first) ballet shoes and sobbing.

“Its all gone too quickly”, tears cascading onto her lap.

I know this to be true - It’s my birthday today.

Tonight we will reunite from separate days and share hot food by a hot fire.

And suddenly I’ll be in tears and overwhelmed.

6 comments:

Mary said...

Has been a crazy day at work. Just got this in under the wire.

Watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4SLSlSmW74&feature=related

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjF1bG5LUcs&feature=related

Mx

FĂ©licia M. said...

A moving post... To prevent Time from flying too fast away, I used to imagine myself much older, and tried to see this "older self" looking back at my (then present) teenage self. Does it sound crazy? well, a bit, I suppose... but it helped me keep the connection with the fibers of the time cloth we are made of.

popps said...

Mary!
Wings?!!?
ps i really appreciate the thought :-)

popps said...

On the contrary Mafalda, it sounds very sensible - i wonder if they would listen to each other though?

Now a time cloth, i would like one of those!

Thanks for dropping in, come again.

Vicki said...

Loved this post.

popps said...

Thank you vicki, it's funny how sometimes things fall into place when you write and at other times its a holy mess.
Bit like life itself i guess.