Hitting the heartstring pulling times

THE ever-inevitable has happened this week. Pangs of homesickness have thrust themselves on me ... particularly as I "witness" two of my best ever friends celebrate milestone birthdays as merely an overseas-onlooker.

I'd arranged over the past weeks to transfer money to be a part of the present buying process and have kept in touch by email and phone on what gifts had been chosen but not taking an active part in that has made me feel a little jaded.

The top hat on it all came at 5.30am on Thursday when I'd arranged to make a surprise phone call to the surprise party - 8.30pm UK time. The guests had had a few glasses of wine, I could tell, and my chum was obviously brimming with excitement at having landed in the middle of her guests to lap up the birthday moment.

I was okay up until the moment she said "... there's two empty chairs here, get a flight quick!" And from that point on, my eyes started to well and my voice quivered.

I'm glad her background noise was at fever pitch because I wouldn't like to think just because I couldn't hold the situation together, it would spoil her special night. So we exchanged our words of love and hung up ... she went back to her lobster thermador and I went back to my pillow and cried into it until the sun came up and it was time for work.

And if that wasn't enough, the celebrations continued over the weekend and during Sunday afternoon, the phone here rang and I found myself talking again with the birthday girl herself, having just arrived home after a night in the city.
With her she had another tanked up chum who I haven't spoken to since I left. Even this conversation ended in tears, but not mine this time. Now THAT made a refreshing change!

In a day or two, it'll have to be done all over again when special friend number 2 hits the big 40. Only this time, I think I'll put the call in when I'VE had a few glasses of the fizzy stuff and it's morning over there. It'll give me the Dutch courage I require so much before picking up the handset and hearing about life overseas and what I'm missing out on.

Some people are so terribly irreplaceable. And it's these times that hit me the hardest. But it's ME that's moved away so has to be ME that has to get over it. I simply need to give myself a good talking to and look forward to welcoming them all for visits.

But I'm dreading the "goodbyes" before I even get the "hellos"...