My zoo keeper son is here and not content to sit and be, as we’ve been, he wants to explore.
“Where are we going today, Mum?” are his first words on entering the kitchen for his coffee and pain au chocolat.
“And good morning to you too!” I respond with a hug. He yawns and looks exhausted.
He’s been dreaming again, he tells me…a phenomenon local to the beds at number 3, Highcliffe. Not habitual dreamers, my children and husband are startled by this unfamiliar subconscious activity.
Today we jumped on a train to Broadstairs and spent six hours strolling down memory lane.
We ate at the pub where the receptions were held for both my parents’ funerals.
We visited all the houses we’d stayed at during the 23 years of his life.
We had coffee with our Aunt who told us about her twelve-day cruise.
We collected chalk stones and shells from the beach.
We walked through the allotments.
We took photographs of Bleak House and the wind turbine farms out at sea.
We surveyed the plot of land where I was planning on interring his grandparents’ ashes.
The disappointment showed on his face.
On the train journey home I cancelled the ash plans.
His face looked crumpled, we ate chocolate and looked at each other.
Then he said, in answer to my prompting,
“It was sad going back without the others…”
Sad indeed, there were so many memories of happy times that we thought would never end. Times that could be re-lived with future generations.
But today he learned at a young age, that going back can bring unexpected emotions. He had thought to have fun walking with his memories.
But he found, that like the unbidden dreams of his London bed, the experience was unfamiliar and startling.
Well hello there! My name is Vivienne McNeny.
I am an empty nester exploring life as a Boomer…you could say I'm happily Boomering along!
As a homeschooling Mum I have finally quit the job of role model and mentor to my four children. I do what I want to do, eat when I feel like it, enjoy life with my blue eyed cowboy and clean my house once a month or so whether it needs it or not!
In true English form I write about the emergence of my true identity now that I can no longer hide behind my children as their Mum.
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