General News
20 February, 2026
A Mum's World: Where have all the pretty things gone?
All the pretty young things from our house have risked their lives by heading back down the highway to the city to study and work and play, leaving a trail of discarded cosmetic samples and delivery packaging behind them. There’s a similar story unfolding in many homes all over the Wimmera.
Dads all over town have checked the oil, filled the tank with fuel and examined the tread on the tyres closely to see how much more they can get out of that set, before sending their youngsters back on their way.
Mums are gazing into empty bedrooms wondering when, or if, their offspring will ever come home again…to take all of that other stuff with them when they leave next time.
A desperate look at the plughole in the upstairs shower proving that they really do have long blonde locks and are still ignorant of basic housekeeping essentials.
There’s no one standing staring into the refrigerator finding nothing to eat and there is a very severe lack of dirty dishes left somewhere near the sink, beside the couch, on bedside tables and on every other available surface.
The good drinking glasses are washed, dried and in the top cupboard rather than sitting empty near the bath or on the coffee table with a long metal straw protruding.
No longer are thongs, white sneakers or brown Birkenstocks tripping up Mums and Dads at every turn. Wet balled up beach towels are hard to find and there are no odd socks or hair bands mixed in with Mum’s wash.
No one is nearby to wear Dad’s latest checked shirt around the property before dumping it in some far-flung corner of the house.
Dad’s old board shorts are perfectly safe from being worn to wash a little hatch back on the front lawn.
The vacuum cleaner now remains exactly where it should be, empty, charged and ready to go.
There won’t be any strange music radiating from bedrooms or creaking upstairs floorboards waking parents at 2am because redecorating happens when the spirit moves.
But how will we know what time it is if there’s no one to sleep in until 1pm, stumble into the kitchen and complain about being exhausted?
How will Mums cope without anyone asking, “What’s for tea?” How will Dads cope without all that female emotion exploding around them?
And who will fight over giving us hugs good night?
Who will make the crumble to go on the stewed apricots?
Who will make us stay up way too late at night watching some hilarious movie delivering the belly laughs we really needed?
Who will make Mum spend three times as much money as she needs to at the supermarket after convincing her to try the latest TikTok recipe sensation?
Vodka Pasta anyone? Just vodka maybe because it’s way too quiet around here.
There’s no one beautiful floating around the house.
There are no bathroom wars. Is that my phone?
Thank goodness there is still telephone counselling and bank transfers.
Read More: Horsham