DON’T LET AN OPPORTUNITY PASS YOU BY

I’m feeling melancholic today. I just got back from the hospital. The result of the blood test shows I have high blood and high cholesterol. The good doctor said that explains my neck and back pain for more than two weeks now. I was given three medicines to be taken three times a day.

When I reached home, I slept. And when I woke up, saw my five year old twin kids Julia and Rafael having snack. I joined them. After eating, my daughter approached me, “Mommy can I wash the dishes?” I wasn’t paying much attention to her. My mind was wandering with my new found high blood and high cholesterol. Julia continued, “why don’t you teach me to wash dishes so when I grow up I know how to”. I snapped out of my gloominess!

You see, when Julia was four years old she was asking me how to draw a star the proper way. I did not teach her because she was already drawing a star, but not the way an adult does it. Hers is made out of five triangle on the outside and an almost pentagon shape inside. One day after coming from school, Julia showed me a star properly drawn; the way an adult does it. She was beaming with pride, “Mom, do you know who made it?” I asked politely, “Who drew it, it’s nice.”. Julia gladly said, “I did it mom! Teacher Aid Sally taught me how to do it.”. Every now and then, when a visitor comes around, Julia always shows her drawings, and never forget to tell them that…“Teacher Aid Sally taught me how to do it.”.

The next scene was of course the sight of a mother teaching her daughter how to wash the dishes the way an adult does it. It took my daughter more than 20 minutes to finish washing 4 glasses, 2 plates, 3 spoons, 3 forks, 2 cups and 2 bowls, but it was worth the time, my time!

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR DISADVANTAGE

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR DISADVANTAGE

I’m agonizing for 12 days now, I have a bad case of stiff neck and lower back pain. I dread the coming of night time, I feel like I’m turning into a vampire! Seriously speaking, I do not like to sleep although sleeping before this 12 days came was my favorite time of the day. Why? If I lie down, I won’t be able to stand up without crawling nor without my husband’s help…without my kids’ cheering and encouragement. Yes, the kids are aware of my situation. They hear my never ending groan of pain! Ouch here and ouch there. On my ninth day in this excruciating situation, I overheard my son Rafael saying, “why does she keeps on saying ouch?”. My son was wondering because whenever my kids have fever, bruises, teething or whatever ouchy situation I’d tell them, “do not mind your ouchy, it will go away. If you mind it, it will mind you and it won’t go away. Your ouchy will say, I like to stay here, he/she likes me...yada yada yada.”. For the first few days whenever I blurt ‘Ahh’, my kids will say, “do not mind your ouchy, it will go away. If you mind it, it will mind you and it won’t go away.”. Yes my kids (even my 2 year old son Juan) say these words to me, the way I say it to them.

Rafael’s question awakened my senses. He was wondering why I do not practice what I preach to them. So on the day I overheard Rafael’s wondering question, I bought eight books. You see, I haven’t been reading novels since I gave birth to my twin kids (2002). I read parenting magazines, do crossword puzzles, anything easy to finish.

And on my ninth night in this unbearable situation, I finished 2 novels. My husband and kids have slept better, there wasn’t any mommy groaning. In the morning, the pain is still there but I feel better knowing that when the night fall, I will not dread it instead I welcome it because I have something to look forward to.