The Angel from Auckland
Recently we packed up our $200 Nissan and headed through the pouring rain to Auckland for some rest, relaxation and good company. We were graciously given some floor space to rest our heads at friends who are so busy with three daughters ranging in age from eight years to one and running their own business. Where they find the time to entertain and help people like they do is far beyond a mystery to me. They have been a huge support for the Mauritian and I from the moment we expressed our decision to change the location of our home. They have freely given their advise, support and time and spent many hours on the phone with us listening to our fears or concerns over and over without complaint. In fact they were even responsible for the acquisition of our trusty form of transport before our arrival at the end of the world.
Before our little vacation in the north I was thrown into a panic by a doctor's rather off handed comments that our Butterfly had a heart murmur and we should have it checked out at a paediatric cardiologist. This was further added to when I was told by a rather useless receptionist that there are no paediatrians in our little town and I would need to go to a neighbouring town like Hamilton, oh and without a referral we will need to pay approximately $750.00 in all. By this point I was neither able to breathe or think so I did the only thing I could do and that was to pick up the phone and call my Auckland “Angel.” After half an hour of swearing, cursing and commiserating I put the phone down feeling much calmer and clear headed. The fact that my Angel offered to take the burden of calling around and trying to find a doctor an appointment and a price for me was a double bonus that brought not only relief but also gave me back my ability to think rationally. In the end I was able to find a paediatrician in our own home town, we did not have to pay for the consultation and” Google” explained that “heart murmurs” in children are really nothing to worry about. I am not someone who panics easily and I cope well in stress situation, normally but on this occasion I went to pieces. In the year we have lived at the end of the world there have been other moments like these though not as intense and in those times I have had someone to turn to who is always willing to help in whatever way she can. Often times the home phone rings and my Angel is on the other side, just calling to say hello. Those calls have been my life line because I know that the time taken to call me is precious to this stress riddled mum of three.
I have never met anyone quite as busy as my Angel! Anyone that tells me a stay at home mum does nothing needs to spend a week in this busy home of five. Her day begins with the task of readying one child for primary school and keeping track of which extramural activity she has that day, another for her morning at preschool and the youngest for day care. Preparing three different morning drinks and breakfasts and getting oneself ready is tough enough, but my Angel does it with her youngest attached to her hip. The school trip takes about an hour then home she comes to do housework and make dinner and that’s her morning done. Her afternoons consist of fetching and carrying kids from school to other activities and watching other children for friends and her evenings consist of feeding, bathing and preparing for the next day. No wonder she is exhausted and ready to crawl into bed by the time her children are in their own beds.
Among all this activity my angel still found the time to take the Mauritian and me to the airport to collect our long awaited box of goodies from South Africa. It’s a good thing she did too, we would have gotten hopelessly lost on our way there and just fining the correct place to go was a task all on its own. With her help we got to the airport unstressed and not having to watch the Butterfly we were able to go about the tedious task of filling in forms and collecting in relative calm.
We also had a babysitter for the first time in a year and this allowed us to go out without our Butterfly and spend some well deserved and longed for alone time. We ended up taking a drive to the area we stayed in when we first arrived at the end of the world and had supper at “MacDonald’s.” Completely lacking in romance but not calories we enjoyed our outing immensely, once again it was with thanks to my Angel.
For five awesome days I didn’t have to wash a single dish, cook a meal, vacuum a carpet or do a load of washing. I had my hair straightened twice, drank far too much wine, and hardly had to do anything for or with the Butterfly. After five awesome days in Auckland I was relaxed and refreshed and ready to tackle life and reality again, all thanks to the graciousness, kindness and generosity of an angel from Auckland.
Before our little vacation in the north I was thrown into a panic by a doctor's rather off handed comments that our Butterfly had a heart murmur and we should have it checked out at a paediatric cardiologist. This was further added to when I was told by a rather useless receptionist that there are no paediatrians in our little town and I would need to go to a neighbouring town like Hamilton, oh and without a referral we will need to pay approximately $750.00 in all. By this point I was neither able to breathe or think so I did the only thing I could do and that was to pick up the phone and call my Auckland “Angel.” After half an hour of swearing, cursing and commiserating I put the phone down feeling much calmer and clear headed. The fact that my Angel offered to take the burden of calling around and trying to find a doctor an appointment and a price for me was a double bonus that brought not only relief but also gave me back my ability to think rationally. In the end I was able to find a paediatrician in our own home town, we did not have to pay for the consultation and” Google” explained that “heart murmurs” in children are really nothing to worry about. I am not someone who panics easily and I cope well in stress situation, normally but on this occasion I went to pieces. In the year we have lived at the end of the world there have been other moments like these though not as intense and in those times I have had someone to turn to who is always willing to help in whatever way she can. Often times the home phone rings and my Angel is on the other side, just calling to say hello. Those calls have been my life line because I know that the time taken to call me is precious to this stress riddled mum of three.
I have never met anyone quite as busy as my Angel! Anyone that tells me a stay at home mum does nothing needs to spend a week in this busy home of five. Her day begins with the task of readying one child for primary school and keeping track of which extramural activity she has that day, another for her morning at preschool and the youngest for day care. Preparing three different morning drinks and breakfasts and getting oneself ready is tough enough, but my Angel does it with her youngest attached to her hip. The school trip takes about an hour then home she comes to do housework and make dinner and that’s her morning done. Her afternoons consist of fetching and carrying kids from school to other activities and watching other children for friends and her evenings consist of feeding, bathing and preparing for the next day. No wonder she is exhausted and ready to crawl into bed by the time her children are in their own beds.
Among all this activity my angel still found the time to take the Mauritian and me to the airport to collect our long awaited box of goodies from South Africa. It’s a good thing she did too, we would have gotten hopelessly lost on our way there and just fining the correct place to go was a task all on its own. With her help we got to the airport unstressed and not having to watch the Butterfly we were able to go about the tedious task of filling in forms and collecting in relative calm.
We also had a babysitter for the first time in a year and this allowed us to go out without our Butterfly and spend some well deserved and longed for alone time. We ended up taking a drive to the area we stayed in when we first arrived at the end of the world and had supper at “MacDonald’s.” Completely lacking in romance but not calories we enjoyed our outing immensely, once again it was with thanks to my Angel.
For five awesome days I didn’t have to wash a single dish, cook a meal, vacuum a carpet or do a load of washing. I had my hair straightened twice, drank far too much wine, and hardly had to do anything for or with the Butterfly. After five awesome days in Auckland I was relaxed and refreshed and ready to tackle life and reality again, all thanks to the graciousness, kindness and generosity of an angel from Auckland.
More than once I've had help from this lovely Angel. Did you know she has the ability to sprinkle magic sparkly dust around a room. She is a good friend indeed.
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