The full circle - mum, now I know what you were doing

As kids we'd go on a holiday every time there was a sniff of a long-weekend or school break. We'd leave early, trying to beat the traffic. I remember dad and us kids would be sitting in the car, loaded up and waiting for mum. And we'd wait and wait and wait. Sometimes the sun would even come up. Dad would growl and say things like "what is she doing in there?" and it would seem like forever before mum would emerge from the front door, arms overflowing with last minute stuff, and then we'd finally be off and away. I always thought it was mum dragging the chain, if the rest of us were ready, why couldn't she be ready too?

Well, mum, now I know what you were doing: you were turning off all the lights, picking up things off the floor, closing and locking all the windows and doors, filling a bag with all the last minute things we'd almost forgotten. And, as things do, we've come a full circle and now my family waits in the car while I run around trying to get everything we need - and that's not even for a holiday, just a normal day out. So mum, I finally understand. Thank you. x