Being there – ravings from the baby-boomer

Once-upon-a-time we were “Mum” and “Dad”.

Folding up the freshly laundered sheets after the hustle and bustle of Christmas and the patter of little feet – the abrupt disappearance - yet again – of the children into the separate labyrinths of their daily lives – has made me reflect on the different roles we play in our life-time….

Now, drifting into the routine of a quiet retirement – far from the tyranny of bossy alarm clocks and the stampeding up and down the stairs of feet rushing to get to work or urgent appointments…. the traditional annual Christmas homecoming comes as a shock to the system.

Christmas-time (however pleasant) is a brutal reminder of the life we had before – the swinging into an old routine of

- planning and preparing festive meals

- restrictive timetables

- being “on-the-go”

- a frantic need for entertainment or being entertained

- catering to another generation….

It is only after the last suitcase has been buckled and trundled out of our lives, that we can finally sit down with a book or doze in the sun and not worry about being “Mum” and “Dad” again.

No doubt it is reassuring for the children to find the family nest is still intact – reassuring to behave as children again – a brief respite from the stresses, strains and responsibilities of adulthood…

For us, the parents, with freshly laundered sheets stacked tidily away in the linen cupboard, Christmas decorations taken down and with the taste of mince pies and expensive chocolates lingering on our palates, celebrating Christmas is a pleasant reminder that our duties as parents are never over.

Let the years roll on – with the tradition of family Christmases something to look forward to for many years to come!

Here’s hoping that you have also had a Happy Christmas

and are looking forward to

a Very Happy New Year!

Flying Kiwi

Brussels January 2017