The Ragazzi

With the departure of The Someone, who fled in a fury nine days ago, and the arrival of The Ragazza, who flew in to Brest airport on Tuesday, the atmosphere at The FVH has assumed a new, gentler, feminine aspect.

My daughter and I have always been close. Our relationship, based on mutual respect, shared passions , acceptance of each other's failings and an infinite love, has developed over the twenty years that she has been in my life.

I am more proud of her than I can express, without sounding smug and gushing. Suffice to say that I have, somehow, managed to produce a wonderful human being.

So we pass the days in talking as we walk The Tibetans through this beautiful Brittany, taking a trip to Callac market for a coffee and mille feuilles, organising my return to England, sharing a lovely dinner with the zen C&G, chez The Hippies, and simply enjoying each other's company

There are not many twenty year old's who would be content to spend so much time with their mother, and few who would enjoy chasing damsel flies, gathering flowers, making cup cakes etc

During times when self-doubt assails me and when she finds me sitting on the stairs in tears she is quietly reassuring, always positive and wise with her words of comfort and support.
When enthusiasm and excitement overcome me and I seem set on pursuing rainbows, she is encouraging and excited with me.
When I need a gentle shoulder, she is always there

I hope that I don't burden her with my fears, I want, as her mother, to be strong and wise, but she (and her brother) are the only people in the whole wide world that I trust implicitly to see the Me that I often hide behind excessive laughter and sometimes-fake bravado.

She and her brother nursed me during The Burnout, watched over me as I grappled with gremlins, cared for me as I recovered my sense of perspective, and supported me in my decision to follow my heart to France

In return I accept their growing independence from me as a part of the natural order of things
I welcome their individual personalities
I love their uniqueness

My Ragazzi are my raison d'etre.
My companions through life's adventures (and we have plenty of those)
My friends and my beloved-ones

I would, willingly, die for my Ragazzi, but for now we are doing that which we love most, we are planning our next adventures in life....