Missing Mash

My daughter Taylor sometimes goes by the nickname Mash - which was fortunate for alliterative purposes in my title. She is only small and despite being a drummer, very quiet. However, she leaves a huge 'Mash-shaped' hole in our home when she is away at Uni.

We took her back to her campus last weekend and the tears that filled her big sad eyes showed that she would miss us as much as we would miss her.

Those tears were never very far from spilling for several days before she actually packed her things and prepared to go. It was heartbreaking to see her emotions etched so plainly on her lovely face.

She and her boyfriend went on a shopping trip a few days prior to her departure. She found a Catwoman poster that she had being trying to get hold of (little bit of a girl crush on the actress Anne Hathaway who plays the feline superhero) and bought it to adorn the wall of her room in the Hall of Residence she calls home during term time. The posters were 2 for a fiver so the boyfriend, being a massive comic book geek, chose a Spiderman poster for himself.

Back home, they unsheathed their posters to admire their heroes.

Taylor has tried to replicate the expression on her boyfriend's face and the accompanying high pitched yelp of surprise and disbelief when the unrolled poster revealed not Spiderman - but teen pop sensation Justin Beiber! Big sister Liberty said that she would have paid money to have been there and witness it first hand.

The unfortunate mix up with the posters created a tidal wave of hilarity that proved a great ally in the battle against Taylor's sadness about leaving.

We had a family get together on Taylor's last night at home. At 4 year old Addy's request we had marshmallows to toast and consequently called it a "Mashmallow" party. Justin Beiber was invited and had more than his fair share of the warm gooey pink and white confection.

Taylor has been back at Uni for a few days now but missing home and exam stress has meant it has not been an easy transition for her. I know she is well supported by the friends she has made and that her boyfriend is only ever a text away but I can't help worrying about her.

In terms of how much I miss her and filling the Mash-shaped hole, I consider myself very fortunate to have this larger than life portrait of her hanging in my hall. It was painted by her incredibly talented friend as an art A'level piece. Not surprisingly, this friend is now at University on an art course.

One day, Taylor will have her own home and will probably take the portrait with her but for now I am the custodian and I love seeing it every day. It is certainly better than a Justin Beiber poster anyway!!

Original artwork by Kirsty Warner

Photography by Kirsty Warner