I just had an amazing experience from Facebook! You know the photo pops up and you go – oh wow – THAT feels like it was a LONG time ago – and some are a bit cringe worthy so we don’t share them…
3 years ago I left my home town with my sons to support them in their schooling and sporting endeavours. Although I had lived in many cities, towns and another Country before children without blinking an eye, leaving my safety net with two big teenage boys in tow was incredibly daunting. These flowers were my send-off gift from the team at Harcourts who were very kind to me.
I was so scared about the move, sad to be leaving the huge safety net of friends and family and worried about the future – but it had to be done.
There were many factors involved in the decision. My ability to support the boys was difficult in a small town whereas I had secured a well paid job to go to on the Sunshine Coast – only one hour and a whole world away – which would enable me to pay their school fees, rent and all the other costs associated with children.
The eldest was boarding with a wonderful family while attending the best school in the world, and it was only a short term solution. He needed support after his two years away at boarding school on a sporting scholarship; he was mentally, physically and spiritually fatigued. My youngest secured a place in the same school and he was very keen to go, so it was the obvious solution.
I had been married and living on the coast 17 years earlier when the eldest was born but we decided to move back to the ‘country’ to raise the children. So, I was familiar with the new area, still had some contacts and a couple of friends and relatives in the area so there were some soft landings.
I knew it would be very hard work to juggle the day to day logistics but we managed – we moved in on the Sunday and the Monday was my sons first day at his new school and I was in a VERY micro managed, results driven, high pressure job, so it was a hugely stressful morning! As a result of the crazy hectic life, I lost all my points on my licence over the year for speeding and just got them all back last week after a 12 month ‘good behaviour driving bond’! THAT was stressful!
How mega grateful are we all now? It was such a wonderful move for all of us – a lifetime ago in so many ways. Thank goodness someone was watching over us as we have all gone from strength to strength. The boys are now men and have their circles, passions, interests, One has his P’s so he can get to work, Uni, beach, gym, basketball and to his favourite coffee haunts. The other has his L’s and gets his P’s in 6 months and 1 day and is lucky enough to have friends with P’s who generously give him lifts to school, gym, rugby and his haunts as do I.
And me…….. I live in a lovely simple home with a backyard again, in a town I adore, 10 minutes from the beach, have a business I LOVE, blogging and hopefully inspiring women – which is just about to go ballistic at the beginning of March – so stay tuned for that on. I run the events and marketing for an over 50’s community from my business, which is tailor made for me. I am with a man who supports me, I have an wonderful relationship with my 2 sons and an even larger circle of women in my life who I absolutely treasure; I go to the gym most mornings at 6am, I eat well and have discovered a whole new world of healthy eating; I have my licence back….., and I start my first degree at 55, in 18 days….and I am a lunatic.
So that is my last three years. I have been very lucky not to hit too many obstacles on the way or too many bumbs in the road. It was an epic move and I have an enormous amount of gratitude for our life ……….and I can never find enough adjectives!
If you want to share your story please email lee.mccarthy@womenshq.com.au and we can publish it for you.
Have a wonderful week Ladies and thansk to those who have helped me on the way xx
