Insights • Inspirations • Destinations • Design

Friday, July 27, 2012

A Long Overdue Note To My Extraordinary Mother



I'd like you to meet my mother. It's her birthday next week. She says she doesn't want anything for a present, but she says this every year. (In fact, she's so frugal that some years she returns birthday cards to me – which I've given her in the past – just so I can give them BACK to her to save money!)

Anyhow, I've been thinking about what to get her. What do you get the woman who has everything? We encounter this problem every year. So I've decided I'm going to write her a letter. A thank you letter, for being a truly extraordinary mother.

I'd like you to meet her.


My parents are not like normal parents. Don't let the cute photo on the Île Saint-Louis fool you. They're what you'd call Extreme Adventurers. One journalist wrote that they like to take the Department of Foreign Affairs warnings and create travel itineraries out of them. It's not quite right, but it's not far off the mark.


In the last two decades they've travelled through two wars, a tornado and a cyclone, and narrowly missed perishing aboard a sinking ferry on freezing Lake Titicaca. (The highest lake in the world.) They've gone fishing for Anacondas up the Amazon, eaten guinea pigs with the locals in some remote village in Peru, stuck their noses over Iguazu Falls, travelled through Alaska aboard a tiny Sessna, traversed the villages of the Arctic Circle, wandered around the bottom of Patagonia, wandered a bit more around the wilds of Argentina, spent some time absorbing the culture of the Spice Islands, recovered in the Seychelles, gone trekking in Africa and criss-crossed the Outback more times than the rest of our family have had cups of tea. About the tamest trip they've done is Maine (above). Where they ate a lobster that wasn't quite cooked.

Once, I met Dick Smith's daughter at her beautiful hotel, Capella Lodge on Lord Howe Island. Curious, I asked her if she'd ever been worried that her father wouldn't come home. (We'd just had dinner together and she'd been regaling me with stories of his adventures.) "Oh YES!" she said laughing. "Every time he steps out the door!" I was pleased to hear I wasn't the only one. When normal parents get bored, they go out for a meal at the local RSL. When my parents get bored, they grab a flight to Mozambique.


Now, I've had the privilege of travelling with them several times but I can tell you it's not easy. For a start, they're both former school principals, so it's a little like travelling with, well, former school principals. We travelled through the US a few years ago and I felt like I had to write an essay at the end of every day. We also travelled through France and it ended up in an almighty fight in Versailles. (I walked off in a huff, crying silent tears, and then heard my suitcase wheels breaking on the cobblestones. I had to laugh, in spite of my bad mood!)

The thing is, having parents like this – having a mother like her (and she instigates these incredible adventures, not my father) is a real privilege. It's like having two David Attenboroughs in your living room. All the time. I can ask my mother just about anything and she knows the answer. Sometimes it's frustrating. Most of the time it's incredibly helpful.


My mother and I have had a lot of fights over the years, as most mothers and daughters do. But she is always – always – the first to say sorry. And that small gesture shows just how gracious and kind – and how great – she is. {Top photo is in the back seat of my father's beloved '66 Mustang. Not sure what they were doing back there?}

Mum, I do love you. You're smart, funny, witty, kind, and still correct my grammar. Plus, you've been to more places than anyone I know. How could I not be in awe?

Have a wonderful, wonderful birthday.

xx



21 comments:

  1. What a wonderful tribute to your Mother Janelle now I can see where you get your itchy feet from!!!!
    I hope you all get to enjoy her special day together and that she has a very beautiful birthday. xx.

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    1. I haven't been to one-tenth of the places she has Jules, but hopefully one day I might have the chance (and the budget!). xx

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  2. Here's to your mother and may she have many more birthdays and adventures.

    My mother gives me birthday cards but does not write in them, so I can use them! I have pointed out, that is not the idea.

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    1. Oh that's hilarious! My mother would do that too if I suggested it. She reuses everything - we even have to recycle birthday and Christmas wrapping paper. I know she also has a 'Gift Cupboard' of presents she's received, which she 'regifts' too. Good to know we all have frugal mothers. I'm still learning the frugal ropes, but will get there one day. xx

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  3. am thrilled your Mum is a leo! My mum is frugal too! x

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  4. Thats a really lovely ode to your parents, I know they'd be thrilled

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  5. Dear Janelle
    Happy birthday to your Mum! Your parents are a great couple and they've had such amazing and diverse adventures. Another present you could give to them both, perhaps for a wedding anniversary is to get them started taping an account of their travels and the funny and exciting things that have happened to them - and maybe you could turn it into another book, this time of their travel anecdotes. Hopefully they've taken lots of pics that you could use.
    Best wishes to you all, Pamela

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    1. Thank you Pamela. From one traveller to another! xx

      PS I've thought about your idea, but honestly, they've been on SO many trips that it would end up being a TOME! Plus, mum's photo archives are so extensive it would take weeks to sort them out. I've told her to do it. If she does, I'll do a book for her.

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  6. What a beautiful testament to an obviously wonderful mother! I suspect she is equally as proud to be your mother as you are her mother.

    I hope she has a delightful birthday!

    Maggy

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    1. I think sometimes she's secretly glad that I have a different name Maggie. But I hope to make her proud of me one day. Thanks for your lovely wishes. Will be sure to pass them on - and everyone else's too! x

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  7. I'm another with a frugal mum, happy birthday to yours and I am going to copy the letter gift for mine in October, thank you.

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    1. I think that's all mothers want, isn't it Tabs? To be recognised and applauded? (Besides, I can't afford the first class airfares around the world that my mother reaaaallly wants!) x

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  8. Yep know where you're coming from. My mother & MOTH's mother were both teachers & everything in life ended up as a lesson! The happiest of birthday's to your very spunky & fearless Mum, long may she totally ignore every warning DFAT issues!
    xx

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  9. Happy birthday to your mother Janelle, what a wonderful, interesting woman... xv

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    1. Thank you so much Vicki - and for your wonderful wonderful post. So touched. You really are a gem! xx

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  10. Many happy returns to your mother Janelle - she and your father sound amazing. And catching up on your posts I LOVE your how not to decorate post. Your library entrance looks amazing - you definitely do know how to decorate I would say... Have a great weekend. Sarah x

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    1. Thank you sweet Sarah, but I fear 'real' decorators are laughing behind their cushions! Nevermind. Clutter is good, I think. Hope to catch up soon! xx

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  11. I've just found your extraordinary blog Janelle - thanks to Vicki Archer - and am scrolling back as I don't want to miss a thing. Of course it will take me days, and many cups of strong coffee and chilled wine before I'm through, which is fine with me!!!!

    I HAD to stop quickly at this post - to wish your adventuring mom a belated happy birthday, and to wish her, and your dad, more adventures - there can't be too many left as they are definitely world travelers. I'm doing similar lately - it must be an age thing, trying to cram it all in before....well you know what! I'm recently returned from another awesome African safari and will be off again to the other side of this amazing planet before you can say 'Jack Robinson'!!

    I know I'm in for a special treat reading your posts and will be back to comment again I'm certain.

    Happy day -
    Mary - A Breath of Fresh Air

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  12. Thank you for popping by Mary. So lovely to hear from you. It's so funny that you say they can't have any adventures left in them. I thought that too - but they're off to Cambodia next month! Your African safari sounds magic. I'd love to visit Cotter's Camp in Kenya one day - and the giraffe hotel too. (Can't remember the name.) Thanks again for kindly commenting. x

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