Big moves

I talked to my mom today and she sounded upset.  It seems that my brother's threatened move to Cape Town due to work is finally coming true.  I feel so much for my mom because I know what a huge impact this will have her.  Her only son and last child left in South Africa, along with his lovely wife Julie and gorgeous boy, James, are no longer going to be 5 minutes drive away.  James will grow up away from her, in the same way that the first 4 grandchildren are doing.  Anton will not be just round the corner to help out with any of those "man" type jobs that he has taken over since my Dad died.  Julie won't be just round the corner to help out with any of those "daughter" type jobs that she has taken over since Lara and I chose to live in other countries.
You can tell from this what wonderful, generous, kind people my brother and sister-in-law are, and how much my mom would miss them all.  So she is now faced with two choices, equally unpalatable, stay in her home; which she loves, with friends near by, where she knows where to go to get anything she needs, where all the roads are familiar, where memories of my dad are invoked , where her garden is, upon which she has lavished so much care and time and work... where her family no longer live.  Or move to Cape Town; leave her friends, house, garden, memories... no mean feat at 68 years old, but at least she would then be near her family.  She is finding it very upsetting and I can't say I blame her.  But I think she has decided that she doesn't really have a choice, she wants to be near Anton, and the only way to do that will be to move.  I know that Anton and Julie will be very happy if she does, and I hope that in the long term she will start to look at it is an exciting opportunity and not just as a necessary evil.

Granny and James

Anton and Julie on their honeymoon in Thailand