Goodbyes
10 September 2013 | Port Vila
Mark
Today I said goodbye to my son. I will not see him again for more than a year. The last time I said goodbye was the start of our 2-year voyage and though I thought I wouldn't see him for the duration, his plans changed and he was able to join us in New Zealand. It's been great having a third hand around and especially on passage, where it eases the pressure on both Lolo and I. On passage sleep is precious. But more than that, it was great to spend time with Danny and share our adventures. Together, we experienced 3 foreign cultures, laughed at strange things, marveled at others, caught huge fish, played music, learned some new words, tried our hand at surfing, drank kava and cheap French wine. It was quality time...something that is all too hard to find these days...and especially to share with your kids. Danny is not a kid anymore, but he will always be my son and while I'm excited for his new adventures, it still tears at me to let him go. I knew it would happen today, when Danny stepped aboard our friends' boat, Namani - and I motored back to Radiance. The same thing as when I said goodbye to him last time: the same thing as when I said goodbye to Piper in Fiji, New Zealand, Tonga, British Columbia and Alaska. It would be hard to speak. I would wish him luck and safe passage, hug him, and tell him I loved him - knowing it would be ages before we meet again. Just like Piper, he will change. He will become a man by the next time I see him - having traveled and worked in New Zealand for a year. He will meet new people and have many stories, perhaps some to even share with his dad. There are hurdles in our paths...uncertainty. My mother told me that once you are a parent, you will always be a parent. Years go by...5, 10, 16, 18, 21 - milestones, and one may think that at some point you might stop worrying. But you don't. I see it in my mother's eyes, in Lolo's parents eyes. When it's time to say goodbye, like me, Lolo's mom cannot speak. As I give Danny one last hug, I say "safe passage, have fun, don't forget to write." That's all I can muster.