My Tanka this week is just a funny story really. This is what happened…
The day before our daughter Tasha was due to go to South Korea to teach English as a foreign language my youngest disappeared. She’d been out for a driving lesson and no one had heard from her. Her mobile had been left on the bed with her debit card too… now we knew something was up. How strange. Hours later she turned up safe and well… at home where she’d been all along! No one had seen her, or heard her. She’d been watching TV in the downstairs lounge, and had crept back up to her bed and scooted under the duvet, all without anyone noticing – that’s taking playing at hiding, just chilling to a new level!
Equally as strange was this cloud formation Tasha and I had seen. The photo doesn’t do it justice, it resembled a giant bird taking flight and within twenty four hours that’s just what Tasha did – flew away.
Yesterday morning, my husband drove us to Heathrow so that Tasha could catch her flight to Seoul, and then on to Busan. I knew I’d miss her – I’d been taking every opportunity to spend time with her. I have to admit I was overwhelmed by my emotions. As she left for the departure gate my eyes filled with tears and my youngest Gina saw me crying and started to cry a bit too. For a moment it brought back memories to three years ago when we dropped Tasha off in Brighton to begin her University course. Miraculously, I hadn’t cried then, but I made up for the lack of tears by crying spectacularly now!
It isn’t easy to see your children leave for a year but we couldn’t be more proud of her. It takes courage to embark upon a life-changing adventure when you are only twenty one. Or craziness! There’s a lot of her grandfather in her. My dad left Scotland and travelled to the Far East many, many years ago. At the time, he was told that he was crazy to do so and now it seems that his granddaughter is now following in his footsteps.
I hope you enjoyed this Tanka and personal anecdote.
If you have sons or daughters leaving home to go far away, perhaps to study or to work, I’d love to hear your experiences, let’s share a tear or two.
Much love,
Bye for now,
To join in with Colleen’s wonderful poetry challenge: https://colleenchesebro.com/2017/08/29/colleens-weekly-poetry-challenge-no-48-haiku-tanka-haibun-stone-turn/
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Twitter:@Marjorie_Mallon
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A beautiful poem to encapsulate the story. They have to go one day Marje. I left home to go to university in Melbourne at 18 and rarely went back again. She is certainly brave going to the Korean Peninsula right now but most of the posturing is just that. The South Korean people are not worried.
Thank you Denis. Yes indeed they have to go but it is hard especially when they go off to a country that speaks a different language, and is so near to N. Korea.I’ll be happy as long as she is safe, well, settles in and thrives there. All of which I expect she will. Thank goodness for skype! And I’ve set up a blog for her too, so perhaps if she gets the time she might delight us with her photos and stories! Xx
It is never easy to let our kids move on with their own life, Marje. My daughter lives in Germany and my son in Denmark, so I can imagine, how you felt.
Yes, it’s not easy Irene but I always knew she’d be the one to be adventurous. Even when she was a toddler she used to wander off all the time, make new friends at every opportinity. She’s always been a whirlwind, nowadays the whirlwind is still there, it’s just hidden in a quieter more adult persona.
Oh, Marj. Thank you for sharing this story and your tanka. I know you will miss your daughter. Seoul is such a long way from London. My daughter left at the beginning of the year and moved about 1300 klms away. I visited her last weekend, which was lovely. She is thirty, but still my baby and I do miss her so. Text messages etc are great, but not the same as personal chats.
I laughed at the story of your daughter hiding. I remember something similar from my childhood days regarding two of my brothers. I have to admit though, that I confused my reading by interpreting “chilling” another way. 🙂
Great tanka.
I have too much of a writer’s imagination Norah. I figure I was a little anxious about my eldest leaving so overreacted to Gina’s vanishing (whilst being there all of the time) act more than I would have normally. It was funny we all laughed when we found her!
I do like a happy ending. 🙂
A lovely poem and story, Marje. It is tough went our children grow up and leave on their own adventures.
It really beautiful 💜, the Tanka, the story and the photo.❤️💜🌹
Thank you Willow. 🙂 Xxxx
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Aww…Marje, I could relate to those tears, emotions, which crave to leap out but we snub them with our pride, looking at the horizon and wishing them well…but a real part of my heart tore away when I saw my girls soaring away, telling myself – life is like that. We have done our part, it’s their turn now.
I poured all my tears into my poetry and shook them well to smile at the memories.
Wishing great success to Tasha in her new venture. May life treat her kindly. Love and a big hug dear friend.
Ah, thank you for your sweet words Balroop. Being a mum isn’t an easy option that’s for sure. Thank goodness I have my poetry, writing and this dear blog to keep me occupied! Thank you so much for your kind wishes for Tasha. I heard from her today and it sounds like she is having a wonderful time. 🙂
They do adjust very well, only we keep moaning…the sooner we get over, the better it is but a mom’s heart needs a lot of time to talk itself out of attachments.
I didn’t get a chance to comment on your post, so I thought I’d visit again and do so. I’m dreading the day my eldest leaves for uni (just a year left till the time comes). I know I will be in tears too! Thanks for sharing this Marje.
It’s very hard but as long as she is happy and safe then I am happy. Thanks for popping by and commenting. 🙂
Oh, loved this! Not going to cry though…not yet…
Hope your daughter has arrived safely, lots of love to her and you too of course 😺💕xxx
Hi Samantha. Yes she arrived safely but didn’t get in touch in a hurry so we were worried! Sounds like she is having a very exciting time!