This hurt me to read. Sorry Fwiffs. I hope there is more to it than this. Not the same, but I remember saying goodbye to my mum after her 2020 visit was cut short
No more to read into it except I would say North America is her home since she has been here for at least 50 years. Yes I admit the States and Canada were not her birthplace. But she says the warm weather over the winter helped her arthritis. As such she's able to get out more on her own without being shuttled in a motor vehicle from one location to another when it's an ungodly -20c.
You could also say it's criminal for me to expect her to stay in the same bedroom in my flat where her husband passed away (and rent control makes me not want to move) or there are psycho-analysis issues with looking at a son who reminds her of her husband or resuming her social circle here which remind her of her deceased husband. I don't know. I can't solve that.
The closest sister to her lives on the west coast. Being only 2 years older and also losing a spouse a month before my father died she has significant dementia. So much so 1 of her 2 daughters + 1 live in servant accompany her on any trips. She has 2 domestic workers at home. I think after seeing her my mother thinks the same will happen to her soon and she'd rather not be a burden to anyone.
So off to the other side of the world she goes.
There is also a bit of arbitrage with the money that's left and taking advantage of low cost/low labour Asia. My immediate family is famous for being <insert stereotype race> misers.
In short the situation is similar: but she's going back to her "home" or spiritual "home" because it's not like she's even going back to her birthplace. She will cling on to her benefits, and pretend to still be a resident in a way that will make Thruth take this post and report it to the Canadian version of ICE and IRS.
I plan to buy the longest travel insurance policy I can when she departs in May and then after that I have to look at the local health insurance or ex pat insurance programs or since she always claims she has do not resuscitate tattooed on her chest maybe she needs nothing.
Or at least you have plans to visit regularly.
I would have visa issues unless PM Carney makes a few more deals. But no, no plans.
However my father's sister could technically go but refuses to on political grounds; like a Canadian not wanting to go to USA (oh wait that's her too). I don't know the language. I did feed all of her retirement residence lease agreement through Copilot and point out the caveats. But my aunt said laws don't matter there so why bother. Her enthusiasm and commitment is doubtful at best.
My mother's other son will claim the 15 1/2 hour flight and the fact he has small children is the reason he can't go.
My mother has another older sister who emigrated to Canada late in her life. My cousin (who is almost retiring herself) is listed as executor, guarantor and all the other things over there. I'm not really sure she has a will outside of Canada (as I had to drag her to update hers) but I leave it for the cousin to figure it out. (Her own father passed away too, so technically 3 blood related sisters had 3 spouses die within a year).
she told me it would be her last time coming to see us as the flight was just too much for her to handle.
My father already started picking business class or premium economy mid 2010s. Last year we picked business (not first). This time we picked business but the price of business one way is now the same as return but at least she's not flying through missiles and drones.
However I said 15 1/2 hours direct is tough in any class unless you get the Qatari Air Force 3 plane that the President received. She didn't believe me. Now she says she could only sleep 2 hours and it was a wreck on her vitals like her blood pressure when she got off the plane. It took her awhile to get adjusted again. She was a person who prided herself on working 12 hour night shifts as a nurse for years.
There haven't been any direct discussions or living funeral type farewells. It's just implied. This is the stupid "British reserve" kicking in.
I had to help her book it because her iPad 3 or whatever she has can't complete the final checkout page in the airline app - that's if she even was able to get through the booking path/shopping cart. Hence I know.
