Birthday

Today is my smallest littlies' 9th birthday. How did it go so fast? I see her slowly changing features from that little person into what promises to be a lovely adult. I reflect, as this birthday means I am entering into a different type of motherhood, on my mummy skills from days gone past. I remember the most important lesson I learned. I had 3 people under the age of 5 and I was cooking breakfast in the kitchen as all 3 of them sat at the breakfast table acting like littlies of their age. I was tired and a bit weary from sleep deprivation. Steve was off gaining a career and making his way in the world which is what you do at that age and I was home running the little asylum and feeling just a bit overwhelmed. I remember looking at my feet as I was walking on the hideous brown linoleum and singing off key to the radio while making breakfast. The radio station changed from music to talking and introduced some forgotten guest. I do, however, remember opening the fridge door and standing there listening but more then that I was absorbing what this guest was saying. "Treat your children as you would want to be treated" it preached. "Imagine yourself walking to the refrigerator and opening the door and you reach for the milk but it slips from your hands spilling all over the floor." "Then imagine your spouse yelling at you for being so careless or not watching what you are doing." That lesson was the greatest lesson I have learned in life. From that moment on if something was broken, ruined, hurt, I will say "was it an accident?" And if it was then I instantly let it go. This has served me well when ink has been dumped on my new $900.00 chair ( though bought it for less), window panes broken from my new door, stains of hair dye appear on my bathroom cabinets, etc, etc, etc. So as I reflect on how this birthday marking the ending of having a young family, I am appreciative of how that young family taught me how to be a better human being. Happy Birthday my dear Maya! Go an do.