teach

Hi everyone,
It suddenly hit me today how hard it will be leaving my mum behind when we go to Australia.
I've been making an scrapbook of my life as a pressie for my mum, it contains the good, the bad and the downright horrible photos of me. It has taken me ages, all the cutting and sticking, selecting captions to go with photos and deciding where to put everything was harder than I thought it would be.
I knew mum would be emotional but I never realised how emotional she would be. I won't see her Sunday so I took the scrapbook and flowers to her today. When she opened the book she cried, then a new set of tears fell with the turning of each page. It was awful.
Hopefully in time she will be able to laugh and think of the good times when she opens the book rather than cry. Not once has she ever said that she doesn't want me to go and for that I am truly grateful. I just want to say "Mum, you are the best and I love you".
Sarah

bridiej

Ah, brought a tear to my eye...

louise

What a lovely idea.

I still haven't told my mum.... It is the hardest thing I have ever had to do, not looking forward to it. I hope she doesn't cry 'cos I really don't think I would be able to handle that.

Hope you are feeling ok.

Louise

Anastasia Beaverhausen

Its not easy is it!

I told my mum on Monday that I am applying for my PR visa and plan to go in 18mths time. She seemed to take it quite well, then I found out the next day from my brother that as soon as she left mine, she got in the car and bawled her eyes out, the whole evening continued like that. How great do I feel.

We've had a good chat now, she knows I'm doing the right thing, but she doesnt want me to go, or even worse, take her grandson away.

If shes like that before I even have the visa, what is it going to be like saying goodbye.

I love your idea of a scrap book Teach, I can see why your mum would cry, mine would be inconsolable.

binbird

I'm sure it was just the emotion of the moment that got to her. Of course she is going to miss you and receiving such a personal thoughtful gift just made her realise all the more that she is going to have to get used to you being further away than usual.

The gift will be a lovely thing for her to hold on to when you are not physically there for her to hold on to. Even if it brings tears they will be over happy memories.

Well done for being brave enough to make it in the first place! I left my mother's day presents with my mum last weekend as I won't be able to catch up with her this weekend but I did put another little something in the post to her today and that brought a tear to my eye - god knows why coz I'll still celebrate mother's day from Australia (probably twice!) and of course I'll still be able to put things in the post to her. It's just doing these things for the last time in the UK makes it a bit emotional. Then again, maybe if the house doesn't sell I'll be having these feelings all over again this time next year!

Why have I gone into waffle mode?!

Binbird

teach

Hi Anastasia,
Luckily I'm not taking any grandchildren away from her, I think that has made things easier for my mum.
I went routing around in mum's attic as she has a suitcase with all my baby things in. I stole my hospital birth card and wrist band and stuck those in there too. I think that is what started her off.
It was nice for me to make the book as well. It gave me a chance to go through all the photo albums, a real trip down memory lane.
Sarah

fraser

It's a tough one my dad's 74 and as my mum has alzheimers he doesn't get to go out at all and the highlight of his week is when I bring my 2 boys Henry 3 and Bobby 1 to come round and see him and believe me I do feel bad. but it's all about them and giving them the chance of a bright future they'll have the choice to live im oz or most places in Europe when they get older. Luckily for me my mum and dad emigrated to Canada when they got married but came back so they understand.

Sent you some karma

Rooksie

im an only child and im taking my parents two granddaughters away from them *WAIL*

i feel like a complete selfish little s**i

zenamethyst

I told my mum in law last november that we were going to start applying for our PR visa to Oz. She didn't really say much , or seem upset! (my mum is dead) Tbh the old in laws never bother their arse to come and visit us where we are at the moment unless they are coming down for shopping or as mil is at the mo, a course 6 weekends a year! (free b&b!) We're only a couple of hundred miles away and they only have one grandson but grandaughters up where they live. Unless we go up there they would only see him (and my husband - their son) once a year at xmas. When we drive up there of course! They were the reason we didn't emigrate years ago. We originally felt hellish guilty for taking our son away from his grandparents and vice versa but tbh if they can't bother with him here then we are off to make a better life for all of us. My husband has not said much on the subject, and ive not said half as much to him as id like as after all it is his parents! But the other day he said to friends who were over that it made it easier the fact that his parents 'didn't bother' to come and see us, to emigrate and that when we are in Oz we would probably see more of them as we'd be free b&b in Oz! We are of course supposed to go 'home' for Xmas but frankly would you leave a hot summer for 2 weeks in the cold with the inlaws??????
The idea that this could be our last UK xmas is what is getting me through this year!!!!

Professional Princess

You know I think Mums are very special people.

All the hard work that goes into raising a family, they do it, putting their own needs second.

Then when the time comes to let go, it may break their heart, but in most cases they do it because they know they have to.

Its really hard to appreciate your mum when your young and suddenly you get to an age where they seem fragile and you really realise what they have done and the sacrafices made.

My mum told me she doesnt want a bought gift for mothers day.

My sister from Cyprus phoned up last night and said if she sent a message via email, would I give it to Mum.

So I am going to write my own personal message plus add my sisters. Then I am going to paint/draw something, scan it and paste our messages on top.

Print it out in archive paper and frame it.

Personalised gifts are the best a mum can have really. I bet if you guys ask your mums, they will have something you made in primary school.

The paintings/needlework that you thought was crap, your mum probably thought was brilliant because you made it for her.

A home video message is a good idea, video your message to her and if your into this sort of stuff, go to windows movie maker and make her a DVD complete with her favourite music and subtitles.

I don't think our Mums every stop loving a carefully made homemade gift from their children.

Anyone can buy a present. But no matter how creative/not creative you are, if you make it, they will love it.

Here's to all of our Mums on Mothers Day - You're brilliant!

Samantha

HiddenPaw

What a lovely present for your mum. You can't put a price on something that has been created with so much thought.

Reading this has made me feel quite emotional. It is so hard making the break from your parents. Before starting the emigration process, I'm sure many of us thought we had 'made the break' from our parents when we were 18 or so and left home for the first time. Now it seems like we didn't 'break away' at all.

I have no words of wisdom but just wanted to say what a lovely idea the scrapbook was.

Good luck with your migration

teach

Thanks for all your replies. I'm going to send you all some karma.
Big hugs
Sarah

teach

zenamethyst, PP and hidden paw,
I owe you some karma, will try again tomorrow.
Sarah