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When my parents told me that they had sold the farm I was happy. The farm is a small property between Gilgandra and Dubbo in NSW. I spent my childhood (between the ages of 5 and 18) living on the farm. I was happy because during the last years of living in the country I had started to feel isolated and bored and I couldn’t wait to leave and explore big cities (ok Canberra isn’t very big at all but its all relative to where you came from). When I was in uni it was a hassle getting back, it required a long (6hour) bus trip and then later on I came to see it as the place that was keeping my parents from being near me!. Since moving to Melbourne I have started to see the farm in a more positive light, I think it’s because I have a lot of happy memories of visiting my grandparents home here in Melbourne when I was growing up and it has reminded me of all the happy times I spent on the farm. After all 13 years is a long time and your childhood/teenage years shape the person you become. I remember riding my horse, feeding the chooks and ducks, playing in the dam, the hayshed and many other exciting places. It was a fun and safe place to grow up. You don’t realise the importance of your family home until it’s gone, I feel sad when I think that I will never be able to return to it. I know my father in particular feels the loss of our home, he has put an enormous amount of his heart and sweat into improving the house and farm and he often fondly recalls the time we spend and things we did when we were growing up. I’m not saying we should hold onto it forever, but I think it deserves this story and some recognition of its importance in the lives of my family members. I want to say this to my father, I understand you not wanting to let go but I think the farm has served its purpose. It was a fantastic place for my sister and I to grow up and even though we live elsewhere now it will forever be apart of us, it has influenced who we are today and we will always carry many happy memories with us.
A new and exciting chapter in our lives has begun, the possibilities are endless, I look forward to creating a new family home…somewhere.
posted by zjcroft @ 5:09 PM
4 Comments:
What a lovely tribute to your parents and your home. It's a nice balance to be able to appreciate what you had, and also to move forward.
I agree with Liv.
And, while I still visit my childhood home each week (jetsetter that I am, it's only 10 minutes walk from where I live now!), I have the same kind of feelings for my grandparent's former home in Tomakin. Almost every holiday as a kid used to be a visit "down the coast" and when they sold and moved to Canberra several years ago, it was the (cliche warning!) end of an era.
Tomakin is actually the only place I've ever travelled on my own (other than for work)... until Wed anyway :)
Awwwwww,...very touching Em.
Being a fellow gilgandrian (and yes, that it the official term!), i too have always shared the same sentiments with my parents stil being in Gil.
I cant believe your parents sold the property!! i'm gonna miss it as well :-( ..where exactly are they based now?
You can tell your dad that now it will be easy to catch up with my folks in canberra whenever he needs a hit of 'curry' ;-)
Here's to a successful start of a new chapter for them ~ and of course, u and Bec.
xoxox
Em, that's such a lovely thing to say and to tell your parents. Having never had a 'family' home, unless you count all the houses we lived in during our travels, I will never have that connection to a place. Though I do have my own connections to places. You have put it all so beautifully. Here's to the next chapter in all your lives!!
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