Pathetic

Warning: This blog post contains excess amounts of melodrama. And I am completely unapologetic for that.

Tomorrow, my best friend, my sister-from-another-mother, my Gertrude, is moving to Queensland. And while I know that in the last few weeks thousands of Australians have lost their homes to flood, fire or cyclonic winds, and that really, I have nothing to complain about, I am still allowed to be sad.

Gertrude and I have been separated quite a few times since we became besties in 1993. When I went backpacking across America and Europe in 1998, we were apart for five months - before she joined me in London. She was based in Queensland for a few years before we both got married...but we still managed to plan our weddings together, had a joint hen's night, and were each others' bridesmaids. She has been in Victoria since just before Jack was born, so I suppose I have been spoiled. We have had nearly five years of being in the same state. Our kids have grown up together, and love each other to bits. And now she is moving so far away, it would take me three days to drive there...or probably five, if I took Phoebe, simply because of the toilet stops.

We met in the city today for one last lunch together - Gertrude, Esmerelda, Aunty Cake, PJ, Will, Ben and the Mouse. Considering how busy everyone was, we only managed about an hour together. But we sat in a crowded food court, shoving Vegemite sangers in the kids' mouths, and pretended it was a normal get-together. We talked about lots of stuff - PJ's thesis (she's a very clever cookie!), Cake's imminent move to the US (another reason to be happy-yet-sad), Kelan and Jack's first week in Prep. I refused to think about Gertrude's appointment with the airport tomorrow, and managed perfectly well all the way through lunch.

Then we gathered ourselves together, and took our increasingly-grumpy babies out onto the street to say goodbye. And on the corner of Bourke and Elizabeth, in peak lunch-hour foot traffic, the ugly crier came out. I hugged my girl, and simply couldn't stop the hot, fat tears from squeezing out. I know it's pathetic. I know it's only Queensland (not Bolivia or Venezuela, or somewhere really tricky to drive to). I know that Facebook and Telstra will make it remarkably easy to converse with her on a daily (or hourly!) basis, if I so desire. But none of this logic takes away the fact that I will miss my Gertrude. Four years feels like a very, very long time.

So the ugly crier tore herself away, hurriedly popped her sunnies on, and walked rapidly down Elizabeth St. Maisie fell asleep under her little sun hat as I tore through the crowds, pretending to simply be a Prep mummy who didn't want to be late for the after-school pick-up. I think I may have startled a few people with my violent sniffing (the heaving shoulders are usually a dead giveaway), and when I went through a little arcade and took off my sunglasses, it was apparent that concealer would soon be rendered useless.

I managed to pull myself together for the drive home, although once again the radio gods were against me. They played every song from the 90's that Gert and I had bellowed during our weekly sessions at PA's, which made me not only teary and nostalgic, but quite thirsty for a Carlton Draught...

Right. Enough of this belly-aching. That's quite enough moping around, and besides, Maisie used all the tissues with her snotty nose so I need to stop snivelling. Jack provided me with an absolute gem this morning, so here's giggle to finish up: Phoebe asked at breakfast, "Daddy, am I your gorgeous girl?" "Why yes, darling", replied her Daddy. "You're gorgeous, and Maisie is gorgeous, and Jack is gorgeous." Quick as a flash, Jack retorted, "I'm not gorgeous. I'm awesome!" Ah, yes, my humble son. Ever the self-effacing one in the family!

Happy Valentine's Day to all my lovely readers. I hope you are spending it with someone you love, or like, or can put up with at a push. I am spending it with my beautiful hubby while he corrects students' work, watching Sleepless in Seattle, and thinking about the people I love. Especially the ones who will soon be too far away to hug. God, I'm pathetic!!!!!!