In Two Months I Will Say Goodbye to my Childhood

Sydney Harbour age 6

                          “In two months I will say goodbye to my childhood!”  
                                                   Big M’s tweet yesterday

                                     Reading that just stopped me in my tracks

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In two months, she will be a child no more. Up until last week it was still ‘next year’ and seeing her in her school uniform doesn’t either prepare you that it’s so close.  She is currently busying herself with assignments, essays, university fairs and applications.  Again, these acts haven’t prepared me that my little girl, my baby, is just 8 weeks away from her 18^th birthday. 

Where did the time go?

Florida - 1 year

When she was born a neighbor said “cherish every second because very soon she will be starting school”.  At the time I thought she was totally bonkers as Little M was just a few days old.  But wow, not only has started school but soon she’ll finish.



First day in school age 5

 She was 5 when we moved to Singapore.  Did one term in a Welsh primary school in Cardiff before joining an international kindergarten here.  She went from being 36 in a small Victorian school to 12 in a cosy, comfortable classroom with an American teacher who had such a lovely caring nature that Big M couldn’t wait for school each day.  She struggled for a while due to speaking and understanding very little English and only spoke Welsh, but it didn’t seem to hinder her.

Marymount Int School Rome age 7

When I turned 18 I don’t know what I thought to be honest.  I celebrate in July and was therefore one of the last in my school year to reach the magic age.  I was just very glad to be like the others, be legal to drink alcohol and vote.  But I don’t think anything earth shattering hit me.  It was an age where I had more freedom whilst still enjoying the comforts of home which brought few responsibilities.

But Big M will cross the threshold on March 7^th and soon after will submit university applications to cities that seem as far away as another planet to me.  Singapore being such a small island she is looking at places in Australia and has narrowed choices to Melbourne and Sydney.  Strangely, they seem just ‘down the road’ in comparison to the University of Oregon that she had her heart set on for a while.  (That was 16 hours flight not including transit).  Being in Australia is a ‘simple’ 6/7 hour hop in comparison.

We have been doing our ‘last of’s’ for a while.  Last first day back, last United Nations Day, last Halloween, last Christmas….. We’ve only got to mention a ‘last’ and it sends Little M into great big huge sobs (and we still have months to go yet!).  I can’t imagine the house without her and going back to just one child again.  Back to three.  What will I say to those who ask, “How many children do you have?” “Oh I have a younger daughter and an older daughter who’s grown up and left home” (yikes it sounds so scary). Little M will miss her enormously and I feel that visits to either city will be frequent.  We have planned a big holiday in the summer, when it’s just us four, probably for the ‘last’ time.

Oh dear….. I must stop being so maudlin and enjoy the next few months before I watch her pack her bags and set off on a brand new start and adventure.

Until the next blog
Beth x