We’re in our last days of January. Already. I always think it is suppose to slow down after the holiday rush, but it never does. You’d think I would have learned by now that TIME DOESN’T SLOW DOWN, EVER! But no…every year, I’m waiting and hoping and dreaming for that slow time to come, and it just never does.
Oh well. Good bye January, and hello to my birthday in just a few days. 37. Wow. I’d like to say I’m creeping towards 40 but it feels more like sprinting. How did I get to be almost 40? That’s gotta be a whole other blog post.
I’m really grateful for the way 2014 has started for me, both personally and professionally. We’re booking a lot of great weddings and events, and working with a wide range of clients that truly keeps our work intriguing on all levels. Amanda, who has worked for me part-time for 5 and a half years now, is now on board full-time as our Associate Planner, and I seriously don’t remember how I did it without her. Together with Gloria and Ginger, the four of us make such an amazing team, and being that we’re all mothers with young children, we understand how tough (or rather, impossible) it is to keep a healthy work-life balance and so, we cover for each other when necessary, to keep the wheels of the company spinning while making time for our families.
Because of my awesome team, I’ve been able to spend a lot more time with Bridgette. As she blossoms into her first year of elementary school, she and I have established a new kind of bond and companionship. On most days, I’m able to pick her up right after school, around 2:30pm, and spend the rest of our afternoons together. I’ve set up a new desk for her adjacent to mine in my office, and she quietly works on her homework and art projects while I finish up with my work. Occasionally, Bridgette would ask me to take a short break with her, in which we’d break into a chorus of Frozen songs, or take a walk around our block looking for a bunny which we named Hopper and a squirrel named Hipster. Hopper and Hipster are always around our front yard, so we consider them our half-pets. I try really hard to log off by 5pm so that I can begin preparing dinner, and if I’m as productive as I’d like to be that day, I can remain logged off for the remainder of the evening.
When I’m having a carpe diem moment, I’m often in disbelief at how lucky I am to have such a blessed relationship with my daughter. Yes, I miss the infancy stages where she’s tiny and cuddly, and the toddler stages where she’s babbling and wobbling in the cutest ways. I miss being able to carry her in my arms, and when I can pick out pretty clothes for her every morning. But none of those times can compare to the joy that I feel now when we’re together….the way that we are able to hold an interesting and entertaining conversation beyond Elmo, the way that we can discuss the characters and storyline of a movie after having watched it together, and the way that we can comfortably share our feelings with one another. One of my favorite parts of the day is getting to hear about Bridgette’s day at school. Having volunteered in her class often, I’m familiar with her classmates and the dynamics between them, so she loves to tell me stories of all the happenings at school.
Bridgette has traveled to 8 different countries in her 7 years of life. My friends use to tease me that I’m taking her down a dangerous path, because having done so much in so little time, it would soon be impossible to find anything that would truly excite Bridgette. Fortunately, I have found the contrary to be true. Despite having gone on so many fun adventures around the world, Bridgette actually remains most fond of the little inklings of day to day life. She loves it when we explore a new route home from school, while pretending to come across pirates and alligators along the way. Running next door to see her favorite neighbor is something she begs to do every day. She can sit at the library or bookstore for hours, just reading and flipping through books. An impromptu picnic is still a surefire way to get her excited. And as of today, cuddling before bedtime remains on her agenda every night.
Though I am no longer the center of her universe, and though she is now wanting a healthy separation from Alan and I at times, I’m still grateful to be her mommy. Yes, she sometimes presses my buttons the wrong way, and yes she calls me out one time too many, but the fact that I have her as a self-reflecting mirror everyday truly helps me to become a better person.
If there’s one consistent learning from my wise 7 year old, it’s the fact that the little moments count way more than the big ones. Thank you Bridge, for constantly showing us how to enjoy the small things in life.
Here are some wonderful moments from our January….
And yes, I’ve gotten over the fact that I no longer have any control over her wardrobe, and I can still love her dearly when she dresses herself like this:
Happy Lunar New Year everyone!
