I met my neighbour Margaret's baby brother Laurence today. She was telling the gathering of family and neighbours that Laurence, who lives at Bribie Island, did not feel capable of driving to her 90th birthday party. And then out of nowhere 86-year-old Laurence appeared. What he didn't say was that while he couldn't drive, his son could pick her up and bring him. Her delight was immediate and obvious and so was his. They sat side by side for the two hour gathering. Four generations of Margaret's family were present at the gathering. She was in her element, as happy as a pig in mud. The reminisced. Laurence confessed to being a bit of a terror as a young one. He told me about hiding under the house and listening while his family frantically looked for him. He talked about going to school at Dutton Park State School in the shadow of the still operating prison. He told me about the fish and crabs he used to catch, too many for anyone in the area to eat. And they laughed and ate and drank lemonade. And Margaret tickled and played with 16-month-old Olivia, the youngest member of the extended family.Margaret had said 90 was no big deal because her mother had lived to one hundred and one and eight months.
But she was clearly delighted that others thought differently.
She was also pleased to be using her mother's wheelchair for the first time.
It was like her mother was at the gathering in a small way
By nightfall she was tired, her house looked like a florist but she was very, very happy with how things went.
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