Filed under: Comment
I’m writing this on the day my Mum leaves China to go back to Nottingham.
She hasn’t gone yet and I already miss her.
I cannot tell you the happiness I’ve felt walking into a room and seeing my Mum there.
Her face.
Her smile.
Her gentle presence.
Sure I’ve loved taking her to new places, spoiling her as much as she’d allow – but the real joy has just been having her near me.
Being able to ask her a question.
Or share a joke.
Or just watch her reactions to things.
She represents all the best things about people … kind, generous, considerate, smart … she is a far better person than me and I should definitely have turned out better given all the love and guidance she’s given me.
That might sound like some empty Miss World type of statement, but I mean it – every single word.
I would happily have her stay with me/us for ever.
I’d love to be able to say good morning to her each and every day.
Have a chat.
Share a meal.
But she doesn’t want that.
Not because she doesn’t like China. Or Jill. Or the cat. Or me. It’s because she likes her independence and that is something to celebrate, even if it means we don’t spend nearly as much time together as we’d like.
So I want to say thank you …
For everything she’s done in my past, present and future and for making this holiday extra special the moment she landed in Shanghai and extra sad, the moment she left.
Till next time my dear Mum, safe travels, I love you and miss you.
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Shouldn’t that be arrivederci?
Comment by john May 26, 2011 @ 6:36 amsmartarse sad fuck.
Comment by andy@cynic May 26, 2011 @ 6:37 amnot from mrs cs perspective.
im guessing “go away” and “leave me alone” are the words shes uttering right now.
plus “leave him jill, hes a fucking planner”.
Comment by andy@cynic May 26, 2011 @ 6:43 amYou’re right John – except “Arrivederci” means ‘goodbye’ whereas I am sure “Au Revoir” basically translates to ‘goodbye, see you soon’ … though I am basing that on my school french lessons, which I not only was rather bad at, but also are so long ago, that I remember when the French were actually quite nice people.
Comment by Rob May 26, 2011 @ 7:17 ampost rationalised planner justififuckingcation at its fucking best.
arent you the twat that said you liked knitting or some other unmanly bollocks in your school french exam. prick.
Comment by andy@cynic May 26, 2011 @ 7:31 ammaybe its sad to bring her to the airport. but seeing her again will then be as special again next time…
Comment by peggy May 26, 2011 @ 7:52 amno clue why my comment landed here. it arrivera ci lol
Comment by peggy May 26, 2011 @ 7:55 amAs Mrs C will no doubt explain to you arrivedeci (a ri verdere ci) means exactly that too.
I should have hoped that your internationalism would have made you realise that the french would not be uniquely gracious in their farewells.
Hope you see Mrs C again soon – she clearly still has a lot of work to do.
Comment by john May 26, 2011 @ 4:54 pma ri vedere ci. whats ri
anyway, i find it interesting that goodbye, it was nice meeting you and so on… the more formal talk is quite, well, polite and reserved (compared to other languages [i know of]). no future, celebrating the past. hail to the queen 🙂
Comment by peggy May 26, 2011 @ 8:09 pmri = again
Comment by john May 26, 2011 @ 10:58 pmrivedere
Comment by peggy May 26, 2011 @ 11:13 pmwhats fucking wrong with saying “come back soon” and ditching all this french and italian bollocks.
Comment by andy@cynic May 27, 2011 @ 5:20 amyou fucking bastard.
you sneaky shit.
after doing fuck all for weeks except take dans fucking pension, you come back with a post thats so fucking nice that taking the piss instantly makes you a bastard.
then to make it fucking worse, you make anyone who reads this feel theyre an inadequate son or daughter which means you fuck us twice. hard.
best proof of your evil fucking planning chops youve made on this shithole.
but no planning fuck can outsmart me so ill insult you by agreeing with you and say youre fucking right that shes a much fucking better person than you and i hope saint mrs c put her humbleness aside and screw you out of every penny you screwed out of me. which means she owns virgin atlantic right now.
if this is you ‘back’ campbell, no more of these posts or youll have shamed kids wanting to beat the shit out of you as well as every fucker else. just looking out for you. again. and wheres the fucking thanks i get? prick.
Comment by andy@cynic May 26, 2011 @ 6:37 amGood news / Bad news.
Good news: This post doesn’t mean I’m back.
Bad news: It comes back on Monday.
This all means you have a few more days to enjoy the peace and question why you wanted me to restart this thing in the first place.
Comment by Rob May 26, 2011 @ 7:19 ami dont know what the fuck i was thinking.
Comment by andy@cynic May 26, 2011 @ 7:33 amhope your time with your son wasnt too much of a burden mrs c. i want to smash his face in within 15 seconds so i dont know what 3 weeks would do to someone.
youre a brave and fearless woman. youre like the guys who took out osama, just italian, with grey hair and a more troublesome kid.
Comment by andy@cynic May 26, 2011 @ 6:41 amIs this the big come back? I’m going back to my beer.
Comment by Billy Whizz May 26, 2011 @ 6:55 amHope you had a wonderful holiday Mrs Campbell.
Good to have you back Rob.
Comment by Pete May 26, 2011 @ 7:04 amshe spent weeks with campbell. what sort of holiday do you think she had pete. im sure what shes had to endure breaches the geneva fucking convention.
Comment by andy@cynic May 26, 2011 @ 7:11 amWait till I tell you about the Chinese news agency that followed her around taking photos!
Comment by Rob May 26, 2011 @ 7:21 amthey were wondering why someone so nice would be in your fucking company. they werent photographers, they were investigative fucking journalists.
Comment by andy@cynic May 26, 2011 @ 7:34 amitll be a fucking light beer but thats still better than a campbell diet coke. ice no fucking lemon. twat.
Comment by andy@cynic May 26, 2011 @ 7:09 amI’m such a social embarrassment to you aren’t I Andy. No need to answer, I know the answer.
Right, off to take Mum to the airport. I hate this part. Hate it.
Comment by Rob May 26, 2011 @ 7:20 amgive her a big hug from me and tell her shes almost free from you and the commies.
Comment by andy@cynic May 26, 2011 @ 7:36 amBeer in the singular I’m guessing Billy.
Comment by Rob May 26, 2011 @ 7:19 amall he needs to act like olly fucking reed.
Comment by andy@cynic May 26, 2011 @ 7:32 amyou can take the girl outta italy, but you can’t take the sunglasses from being hooked on the front of her top. dead giveaway. mrs c – molta alla moda.
rob, goodbyes are fuckin’ hard. i hope you’re doin’ ok. i’m sure that living in oz didn’t actually teach you much about living far away from loved ones. but know that half of australia understands your pain – we’re always saying goodbye to people who live half the world away.
lookin’ forward to having you back.
Comment by lauren May 26, 2011 @ 12:22 pmThank you lovely … I’m fine, sad to see her go but as Peggy says, happy to know I’ll see her again soon.
To slowly get this blog back to what we all know and hate, let me leave you with this little story about airports and goodbyes.
When I lived in Oz, I was interviewed by a magazine and asked what was my favourite sight in Australia. They got rather upset when I said “The departure board at Sydney airport”.
Let the vitriol fly.
Comment by Rob May 26, 2011 @ 1:00 pmthats more fucking like it. get back to when you were good. and a shit.
Comment by andy@cynic May 26, 2011 @ 9:39 pmOne day, your mum is going to give Mr. Boucher a right slapping. Lovely post. Good morning sunshine.
Comment by Marcus May 26, 2011 @ 1:26 pmwhere the fuck have you been hiding? you alive? well? missing the kraut shed? mrs c wont smack me, i look out for her its you lot that are nice to her planner son she wants to meet down a dark alley.
Comment by andy@cynic May 26, 2011 @ 9:41 pmI’m always here. Lurking. Not missing the shed and wonderfully hangover.
Comment by Marcus May 27, 2011 @ 2:28 pmI’m ignoring Andy. Lovely post, pure and simple.
Comment by northern May 26, 2011 @ 4:35 pmIt takes a real man to show how he feels without any irony or ‘side’.
Unlike Andy, who obviouisly loves you to death but is too emotionally stunted to express it in any other way but vitriol, but then I guess you’re the hardest on the ones you love the most (an no that’s not meant to be homoerotic)
emotionally fucking stunted. when the fuck did you talk to parasite and leech also know as exes 1 and 2?
Comment by andy@cynic May 26, 2011 @ 9:44 pmDo they go to the gym by any chance?
Comment by northern May 27, 2011 @ 1:00 amthey did and they both told me about some sad bald northern sleazy instructor fucker who kept suggesting if they watched youporn with him and drank fuckloads of tea he could make them feel better. sound like anyone you know groper?
Comment by andy@cynic May 27, 2011 @ 5:18 amI have to say I’d rather think of Andy as hating me than loving me in any way – but then to coin his term, he’s only human.
Allegedly.
Comment by Rob May 27, 2011 @ 9:21 amif i wanted to fuck you, i wouldnt be human.
Comment by andy@cynic May 27, 2011 @ 9:46 amyou obviously love each other. in an innocent way. very cute to watch 😛
Comment by peggy May 27, 2011 @ 6:42 pmMy eyes, my eyes!
Comment by john May 29, 2011 @ 6:55 amyour eyes? 3 2 1 im back in the room
Comment by peggy May 29, 2011 @ 9:56 pmHope you both had a really good time.
Comment by Rob Mortimer May 26, 2011 @ 6:51 pmLovely post.
Safe travels, Mrs. Campbell.
Comment by Carol L. Weinfeld May 29, 2011 @ 1:48 amLovely post.
last day of blog shit peace isnt it campbell. you sick bastard.
Comment by andy@cynic May 29, 2011 @ 8:12 pm