Looking After Mum!

Darrell has been in Australia for a little over a week now and has began the process of reintegrating into Australian life. The last time he was down under was in 2016/17, so adjusting to his new circumstances in Perth isn't going to be as difficult as it was then, after a sixteen year absence. I haven't been there since 1998, but judging on the photographs Darrell has sent, it has changed dramatically over the years, three times larger than it was.

These are difficult times for us as a couple, but we have been here before and will survive the coming months. Both of us are doing what's best for our families at this time, putting our own lives on hold for a while. As all of us get older, my generation will undoubtedly face similar issues, not as difficult as ours but nevertheless our aged parents will become more of a priority; how we deal with this will determine who we are as people. I believe strongly in being there for my Mum and Dad, as does Darrell, that creates its own set of problems, but we are both prepared to do what is best for them, after all we have the rest of our lives ahead of us, they do not!

Darrell has managed to navigate the official paperwork necessary for his stay and has been officially designated carer for his Mother. I spoke to him first thing this morning; he had just got back from hospital, where his Mother is said to be doing well. The treatment she has to endure isn't the most comfortable of things to witness, but Darrell remains philosophical about his role, and hopes his stay will encourage his Mother towards a more positive outlook.

It is strange, neither of us have experience of dealing with illness, except our own once in a while; the odd cold, a bout of flu and a few cuts and scrapes, but we are both doing what we feel is right. Somebody said to me the other day, that they believed we shouldn't be sacrificing our own happiness and Marriage and what we were doing could be counterproductive in the long term. At some point both of us need to come back together as a couple, we are well aware of that; we just have no idea when that will be.

People have their own views on our decisions and would probably do things differently. We are both lucky to have close family and friends, supporting us through this period. Without their backing the decisions we have taken may have been very different. For now, we will continue doing things our way, take each day as it comes, build our lives in our respective countries and wait until the day we are once again reunited! Our friends point of view is important, but they will not influence the choices we make, we will always determine our own destiny, as they should also!

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