How we miss our Family!

As immigrants, the one thing we miss the most from our home country is the FAMILY.

What we would give to be able to pop in at our sister or brother’s house for a coffee on our way somewhere.

How wonderful would it be to pick up your sister and go shopping together, trying on clothes or shoes and being able to get her opinion.  Sisters tell it like it is.  If those jeans are making your bum look big, she will tell you so! 🙂

How we miss giving (and getting) hugs to our Mother or Father.  My mother in law made THE best roast potatoes in the world.  How nice would it be to go for Sunday roast and a visit?  Fixing small things around her house for her and watching the cricket with her, knowing it is her absolute favourite thing to do.

We miss visiting our Aunt and Uncle in their little room in the retirement village, knowing that we made their day.  Simply, because we spent precious time with them.  Listening to them telling us a story for the fifth time today and not mind.

Some people are very fortunate to still have their grandparents alive.  Not many of us have the privilege of listening to them telling us their stories of their time fighting in the war/s. Enjoy and appreciate them while you still have them.  They have gone through a lot in their lifetime, respect them for that.

We often think back to those holidays we spent with our cousins when we were kids.  How we were playing in the forest, hunting pigeons with wooden guns (only the big kids were allowed a BB gun).  How we would make a fire with leaves and twigs and trying to cook the pigeon 🤢. 

How much fun was it to swim in the farm dam, you know the round one with high sides?  Well, it was fun until you realised your uncle had put a heap of catfish in there and it was not so nice anymore.  That’s uncles for you!

We remember fondly how after the cousins visited and they were going home everybody had to empty their pockets to produce the ‘borrowed’ toys.

Another very fond memory of mine is how I fetched my nephew of 6 or 7 years of age and the two of us would go ice skating.  We would always stop at the local roadhouse on our way back for a milkshake.  I fondly remember the time I suggested he order the bubble gum milkshake and he alarmingly looked at me and said that he would get tired of chewing so much bubble gum 😃.  I hope he also treasures the memory as much as I do.

We used to love trips to the game reserve.  We would always have a VW Combi load full of excited people and made some unforgettable memories with our friends and family.

We miss having our family and friends over for a Barbeque and all the laughs we had.

It is very exciting when they come to visit us in our new country.  We are proud to show them around and treasure the time we have with them.  We dread the goodbyes at the airport and don’t look forward to coming home to an empty and quiet house. 

We just miss our family. 😢 💔