The tale of two mermaids.

Lucy is home today; her school is being used as a polling station and so we shall be doing 'girlie' things - or at least that is what she tells me!

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon with my other girlie, Lauren, my beautiful nearly-twenty year-old daughter. We had both realised that neither one of us had remembered Granny Shirley's birthday on the Monday and so we set off with an enormous bunch of lilac, the perfume filling the car with its heady scent, and a pretty home-made gift tag courtesy of Lauren - highly talented in the art department, that one! Of course, neither one of us thought to ring Granny and thus arrived twnty-five minutes or so later to an empty cottage. No doubt, Granny was thrilled with the wizzened posy she found tucked as far into the doorstep shade as possible! Best laid plans and all that...

Having finally dragged ourselves out of the house, Lauren and I decided we really didn't want to go back so soon and drove to Swanpool Beach in search of something to eat (sorry, another beach story but it is Cornwall after all). Once again, the gusty wind was onshore, but the hot sunshine worked its magic as we sat with Isabella on the sand eating huge baguettes of roasted vegetables with melted goats' cheese - yum! The sky was of such a brilliant blue, so pure against the muddier blue of the swirling sea and gleaming sands. Children sat engrossed in the building of sandcastles, a myriad pretty shells decorating the wobbly turrets and brightly coloured buckets holding sea water ready for the moats.

Lauren and I chatted as we sat watching the activity. We chatted about relationships, giggled at the photos we took of ourselves (one of which I have posted above and now wish we had taken it with the sea behind us!) and sat in dreamy silence as the sun warmed and soothed away any troubles. I love these special times with my Lauren, knowing that all too soon she will have flown the nest once and for all to chase her dreams. She has her mother's thirst for independence and a desperation to row her own boat that I recognise and understand as my own. It is only through Dave that I have finally learnt that it is ok to lean a little, to allow someone else to take the responsibilty - I suppose I mean to trust. Lauren, I hope, will find this sooner than I did, but in the meantime I shall watch and worry and be proud as she forges her way and, should the need arise, I shall pick her up and hold her as I always have done when she has stumbled over life's challenges.

But today is Lucy's day and I am off to play mermaids and pirates on the beach once again, the wading into the frothy sea to rescue her reminding me endlessly of the same game played out with Lauren all those years ago - different child, different year, but the same wonderful, magical memories to build.


Hope you all have a lovely day too x