**A quick back story** When I was 13 I left the country for the first time on a “People to People” trip–an organized trip for middle schoolers to England, Ireland, and Wales. We had a homestay outside of Broadway, England in the Cotswolds. My homestay was my favorite experience as I lucked out with Annette as my “mum” welcoming me with open arms. I clicked with her daughters, Hannah and Freya, and am lucky to call them my close friends today. We were pen pals for YEARS and finally had a reunion eight years later when I moved to Scotland for a study abroad semester in 2012. Since then, now that we are all “grown-up”, we’ve been lucky to see each other every other year.
“Last year” in February 2020!
February 2020
(We met in July 2004!)
Annette is such a “mum” that when I asked her to write for this project, she, of course, wrote about her two amazing daughters. Han’s earlier contribution to the blog can be found here.
By Annette in Bristol, England
In a very varied colourful interesting life I have loved many things many times.
Love comes in so many different ways from so many varied times from nanoseconds to life long. Both deep and fleeting–all affecting you–to deepest of chasms to the shallowest passing but with hindsight the cruelest of feelings coupled with insights you can’t remedy but you can learn from. They all make you the person you end up being!
I feel both blank and overwhelmed at the question to write about love or an uplifting event. Rushing at top speed into my mind it is creating an immense log jam…
However, head and shoulders above all else layers and layers of love and truly magic moments to and for me….is seeing my babies fresh born whole so beautiful, envelopiningly stunning–a tsunami of feelings surrounding me and so unbelievably made within me.
I will never get over the exceptionally shocking fact of birth being reality. It is beyond reality! To touch, smell, hold and have and for the first 3 days was emotionally expecting someone to appear who was the ‘real’ mother as I couldn’t believe I had given birth.
But I had. I could not sleep. I could not blink. I just kept staring at these amazing daughters overwhelmed with feelings I never knew I had but somehow shockingly possessing all the required skills to thrive.
Although you always feel unsure, somehow you are just ready to be caring and handle each situation as it comes.
I really did just smile from ear to ear for months I had postnatal euphoria for three years and believe me had two very difficult births. The pain but nothing was as strong as just looking at them and thinking I have such a precious bundle.
I never knew until that moment I was going to be a Mother forever.
Some daughters arrive late but that’s another story…
For more information on #loveinatimeofcovid or if you would like to contribute to the project, click here.