Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Little Things


Everyone has heard that it's the little things that matter.  It's the little things that bring joy.  Even though we have heard this sentiment a million times, it's hard to remember on a day-to-day basis.  These are some things that give me joy.
  • A baby's laugh
  • A Mohammed hug
  • Mohammed's kisses (mwah!)
  • A nice, warm bath
  • Sunshine
  • Green grass
  • Picnics
  • Someone else doing the dishes
  • A relaxing dinner out
  • Breakfast
  • Relaxing in bed
  • Reading
  • Coffee and a sweet treat
  • Texts from friends
  • Chats with Mom
  • Potluck with friends
  • Cuddling a newborn
  • Warm slippers
  • Baking bread
  • Exploring new places
  • Water - lakes, rivers, streams, oceans
  • Reading cookbooks
  • Wandering a bookstore
  • Exploring a specialty food store
  • People watching at the airport
  • Leaving on a jet plane
  • Long walks
  • Talks with friends where you don't have to explain any weird things you say
  • Acting like a kid sometimes (a lot of times)
  • Coloring
  • A clean house (but not the cleaning part!)
  • A big glass of water
  • Healthy food that tastes good

Saturday, February 7, 2015

This New Joy

I gave birth to Mohammed 19 months ago,  I've been a mother for 19 months.  Twenty-nine months if you count when I was pregnant.  My life changed forever the morning of July 5, 2013.  It's not better or worse.  It's not all roses.  Parenting is hard.  It's the hardest thing I have ever done and the hardest thing I will continue to do for at least 18 more years.  I love Mohammed with all my heart.  He is a little boy with a big personality and has a lot of joy inside of him.  Nurturing this joy is one of the most important things I can do as a mother.  I am realizing more and more that I first must nurture this joy inside of myself.  I know that this will be a lifelong journey, but one that I need to embark on to be the best mother I can be.  Bringing a human being into this life is not something to take lightly and the influence that I have on my child(ren) will be one of the strongest they have.  I'm ready to embrace This New Joy.