Last evening I had a long talk with Sanne. Sanne is a long time friend of Marion and me (I know her as long I know Marion, but Marion and she even went together to school).
Somehow the subject of the conversation turned to my mother (if I remember correctly the upcoming birthday of Sanne’s mother was the reason for this). As you may know my mother passed away in 2011. Anyway, Sanne reminded me of what she once told me about my mothers passing away. She suggested me that I should write it down….. and so I will: Here on my blog, because this something anyone may read.
I accepted in 2008 a new job in Hoofddorp. Hoofddorp is, more or less, on the other side of the country as Haaksbergen, the town where I was living at that time and the town where I grew up. During the working week I rented in room in Amsterdam and in the weekends I mostly travelled back to Haaksbergen.
After a year working in Hoofddorp I got my permanent contract there and so the time had arrived to look for a place to live more close to Hoofddorp (there were some circumstances that enforced this also, but those are not important for what I want to tell here).
In 2010 I rented an apartment in Heemskerk, which belonged to a colleague who just bought another apartment for himself. For a bit more as a year I lived there quite happily and so I decided that I wanted to buy it.
My colleague and I agreed on a price for the apartment and with the very welcome help of Marion’s father a mortgage was arranged. Last thing that was left to do was letting a notary confirm the sale of the apartment to me. So a notary was contacted and an appointment needed to be set up.
It was close to April and one of the days available for this appointment was April 11th. Now 11th of April was the birthday of my father, who sadly passed already many years ago away from us. But I thought my mother would like the idea of signing the contract that will make me the owner of the apartment on that day to honour my father. And I was right, my mother loved this idea.
Sadly things went badly, just before the 11th of my mother passed away. So the strange situation of deep sadness of the funeral on Friday April 8th and the joy of owning a apartments on Monday 11th April was very confusion for me. My feelings were very contradicting: I felt sad because of losing my mother and happy at the same time for the new apartment.
Sanne told me at that time something that gave me some peace of mind.
As she said, finally I really settled down. My brother and sister were both married, a house, children, so are already settled down for quite some time.
But I, the youngest of the family, not completely yet. Sure, I found a wonderful lady to share my life with. I got an very nice job. But I was still moving between Haaksbergen, Amsterdam and Hoofddorp all time and still without a place to really call home.
With buying the apartment in Heemskerk, I also settled down: An awesome person to share my life with, a good job to pay the bills and to do fun things from and place to call my own.
And so said Sanne, my mothers work was finally down now the last of her children found stability and balance in his life. Time for her to let go and so she did. Many wondered how my mother with her very fragile health was able to hold on for so long. Maybe we have the reason here.
Sanne commented on what she said herself that maybe it is not true, but it might bring some comfort and she was very right with that! It still does…
Rob, it were some word of comfort which you needed at that time very much. I am glad they helped you over then.