It’s been a whirlwind of a half year for us, with the months and holidays flying by at lightening speed. I’ve given up on a few things like laundry and housecleaning in order to regain some quality time with family and friends. I’m so thankful for Alan who puts up with my seemingly endless crazy schedule and mood swings (due to the crazy schedule!). He’s got his way of creating some much needed zen within our household, mostly by just listening to me vent when I need to and quietly contributing to the array of chores waiting for our attention. Despite his increasing responsibilities at work, he’s always able to remain so grounded and at peace with everything…I really need to pick up a few tips from him!
Mother’s Day was very low-key this year. Bridgette and my mother in law picked out some beautiful hydrangeas for me, with a cute heart shaped balloon attached, in my favorite color pink!
On the actual Sunday, we spent a delightful day as tourist guides for my cousin Winnie and her fiancé Garry, who happened to be visiting from Australia. Along with our other cousin (yes, I am very lucky to have lots of cousins!) Jacqueline, her boyfriend Peter, and her mom, we started the day off at one of my favorite places in the city–the Ferry Building! We indulged in fresh oysters from Hog Island, burgers and shakes from Gott’s, some sightseeing at the Golden Gate Bridge and Twin Peaks, ending with dinner and crepes at Japantown. It was a terrific day and I wouldn’t have wanted to spend my Mother’s Day any other way!
I’ve always known that I would want to be a mother, and I’ve always thought I would naturally fill this role when the time came. Well, life really is never what we expect. Being a mom comes with so many more challenges, anxiety, and responsibilities than I ever imagined. The funny thing is, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It is the hardest, but undoubtedly, most rewarding role in my life. There is no way to describe or feel what the term unconditional love truly means, until I became a mother. I can’t say I enjoy every single moment of it. There are times when I want to pull my hair out, when Bridgette pushes me so far over the edge I want to explode, but as cliche as it sounds, the joy of motherhood far exceeds the pain…at least for now. 🙂 I have a wonderful relationship with my daughter, and while I may be teaching her phonetics and arithmetic, she is surely teaching me to love selflessly and unconditionally.
Bridgette, I love you to the moon and back!
