Don’t
give up and lose the chance
I enjoyed baking
last Saturday. I made muffins, a sponge-cake, biscuits and cheese-puffs. But there
were two things missing: my Kenwood ‘chef’ (the motor burned out – not surprisingly
after 40 years hard work) and my kids. When they were small, I used to wait
until they were all otherwise occupied, then I would sneak into the kitchen to
bake – but as soon as they heard the whirring of the mixer, they scrambled into
the kitchen with their chairs to ‘help’ me.
They vied to
spoon in the flour, break the eggs and measure the vanilla essence. Mostly they
fought over ‘licking the bowl’ that was divided into quarters so there was no
fighting – which there invariably was. Back then I longed for the day when I
could ‘do my own thing’. Now that the kids have all left the coop (and are probably
longing for peace and quiet of their own) I have the liberty (well sort of …) to
do my own thing.
Bringing up
children is hugely sacrificial. Time, money, ‘space’, sleep and privacy don’t
belong to you anymore. You have no choice but to share these with your family.
Everything you do, from the time you open your eyes in the morning till you
flop exhausted into your bed at night, is for your kids.
But he rewards
are out of this world. They make every sacrifice worthwhile.
Here’s a poem I
found in my diary, written by my daughter when she was a teenager.
Say
something, picture it as a marathon
Keep
it to yourself, and once your plan is in action
Share
it with the one who shows an interest in your progress.
Love
Devotion
Feelings
Emotion.
Don’t
be afraid to be weak
Don’t
be too proud to be strong
Just
look into yourself and seek
And
if the return to yourself is the return of who you are,
That’s
OK.
If
you want to laugh
Or
if you need to cry
Just
believe in yourself
Believe
and don’t deny
Don’t
care what people say
Just
follow your heart
Don’t
give up and lose the chance.
My advice
to all you mom’s out there? Cherish every moment with your children, listen to what they have to say,
laugh with them and enjoy discovering the world around them, with them. Hold onto memory
jolters – their scribbles, drawings and photographs. These will be as rare and
precious as diamonds one day, that I can promise you.
