I’ve been thinking about how fleeting time can be and wondering whether we really savour and treasure the days we’ve been given on this earth. We tend to be easily overwhelmed, distracted by our current circumstances and misled by our haphazard emotions, but as time goes on, those seemingly difficult times disappear and the moments worth remembering remain. So, why do we waste time to worry and stress about things we will forget anyway? It seems pointless.
My pregnancy with Mia was short of a nightmare. I couldn’t keep anything down and was admitted to hospital two times, because my body just couldn’t deal with the pregnancy. When I was 38 weeks pregnant, I weighed 10 kg less than before I fell pregnant. I was a bag of bones with a huge belly. I have a point in sharing this, bear with me. This month was one of the most amazing months with Mia. She is no longer a baby and I have forgotten my nightmare of a pregnancy. I have forgotten that constant nauseous feeling. I have even forgotten the sleep deprivation and all the uncertainties that come along with parenthood. What has filled my memory bank are thoughts and experiences that might seem trivial to the outsider, but to me they are treasured keepsakes. I am focused on savouring the precious moments. We tend to forget the bad things anyway, so why bother giving them too much attention now. These are but a few of the memories I am savouring this month:
- Mia mastered potty training (so proud of her) and she loves to do her business on her own. Luckily for me, I always get invited to say goodbye to her ‘poo-poo’ as it is being flushed down the toilet. You can just imagine Mia and me, crouched over the toilet, waving and announcing loudly, “Ta-ta, poo-poo. See you never again!†Now that’s a memory to hold onto. LOL.
- We painted our toe nails together – what a mess! But the proud look on her face when her toe nails, toes and part of her foot are painted, is priceless.
- After reading our bible story, Mia always wants to say her own prayers. The prayer usually consists of Mia saying, “Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.†She will go on and on and on. After what seems like forever, I will interrupt her and say, “You don’t have to repeat yourself, Jesus heard you the first time.†After which she will shout loudly, “WAIT!â€, then say ‘Thank you Jesus’ a few more times and announce the prayer finished with AMEN.
- This month, Mia told me for the first time that she loves me and she used my name for the first time. She can’t pronounce Corien, but hearing her say, “Moma Toenien, love youâ€, brought me to tears.
MommaMia Tip: Whatever your hurdle, your mountain or your giant, let me encourage you today to focus on those little things that can make a bad day, a good day and a good day, an exceptionally great day. Keep those you love close to your heart – they are your treasures and your true wealth.