cazza36

Feel a little silly for this post, but know that a lot of people will understand, we left UK in JAN this year, we love our life in Canberra, have good jobs etc, but really, really miss my Dad who is 75 this December. My mum and dad live in Cheltenham, are are alive and kicking, but cant shilft this sad feeling of lost, mainly for my dad!. We are very close and are going back in Sept for 2 weeks holiday, has any one any throughts on this/or how to overcome these feelings?. Apart from that everything else is fine!!

sonlymewalter

Don't feel silly, it's normal - why wouldn't you miss him

Do you use Skype? A lot of people find comfort in being able to *see* those they miss, it's almost like they are with you having a coffee

Other than that it's time really, time helps gain normality.

Hope you enjoy your holiday mate

al150n

As already said don't feel silly. It was my sons 18th birthday last week & I miss him soooooo much (as well as my other 2 teenagers).

I have no words of wisdom as to how you overcome these feelings, sorry. Chatting to my kids online, phone calls & Skype all help. My daughter phone yesterday afternoon during one of her breaks at college. It was only a 5 minute call but it cheered me up no end to hear her voice. She hadn't even phoned to talk to me either She's missing her little brother & sister & wanted to say hello to them

Everyone keeps telling me it gets easier, I guess only time will tell. We've only been here 10 months & for the foreseeable future there are no plans to go back for a visit as we simply can't afford to. But for the best part I love it here & everyone else is very settled.

Hang on in there. You've got your holiday in September to look forward to so focus on that for now.

Alison x

Cheetah7

Oh god I an relate to this post. My Dad is 73 and Mum isn't alive, when we moved here 3 years ago I remember thinking 'we have made friends, people everywhere and none of them are my family and my Dad isn't here' the memory if me saying goodbye at the train station haunted me for ages.

Dad managed to come out here for a month in March this year and now my memory is of him pissed in Clancys fish bar!

It does take a long while and it does get easier, my Dad gets free calls to Australia so we speak every night except Saturday and Skype makes a huge difference.

It hurts, it's emotionally draining but it will get easier and if your parents can come out to see you, you will get some nice memories of them taking a part in your new life as well.

killerhales

Skype and calls are important of course, but I have also written letters (remember those?) to my Dad and he to me.

For some of us males it is easier to put thoughts into words sometimes. I have a couple of letters from my Dad that I really treasure.

He is 85, still going strong (touchwood) and two of his three sons and their families live here in Australia, for which he has always been incredibly supportive.

Love you, Dad (sniff)!

Brisben

Feel for you all, I miss my family dearly, however I have my own immediate family to look after, which is my priority, I do talk to them often, skype and e-mails etc...After four years of being away from them I have become comfortable with the situation...

sue1964

I think when we are in our 20s n 30s and we emergrate its all very exciting and dont think to far intot he future.
But once you have been away from family and you are now in your 40s and parents are older are thoughts change.Was it worth taking young children away from Auntie,Uncle's Grandparents for sunshine and bigger house.
Parents are gettig older how many more times will you see them.My dad died last year in UK Iwas there but made me think should we of come.Who will look after my mum if she gets sick who will look after us when we are older,yes we all have good friends here but who would help if anything happened as everyone has own lives.Sorry if not what you wanted to here but you only have one mum n dad.

moneypenny20

I miss my dad. He's been dead 20 years. The mother's still breathing though.

NJJ

Don't feel silly. I've been in aus 8 or 9 years and still miss my dad too. Going golfing / getting drunk or both just isn't the same

Jon77

Can totally relate to your feelings, I left the UK at the end of April and the first few weeks I felt totally lost and missed my parents a great deal.

I posted on here in the days after our arrival in Sydney about the departure we had when we left the UK. We made the mistake of letting the family come and see us off, there were tears and it was really awful for everyone.

I was told on here after my post that it would get easier, and it does. But you never stop missing those you love, you just learn to live with it. I still have bad days when I feel really down about being away from them, but those days come around less frequently now.

Good tip about the Skype, we have started doing this and it does help. However I would advise against doing this for a month or so. I left it two months before we went on Skype with my parents, it just gave time for everything to settle down a little.

Good luck.