Tomorrow my little boy turns One!

Tomorrow my little boy turns One! I have looked forward to this moment from the time that I knew I was pregnant. Whenever I saw other mothers with kids that were walking, talking or sitting up, I would draw a mental picture for myself of the day he would do all those things. As he hits this milestone and I see how he has turned from this sleepy little bundle in baby sheets to a little brat who has us all on our toes through the day, I have no words to describe the journey or the feelings that this event brings.

But there is also a sobering realization that comes with it. Tomorrow is a big day for him and yet in many ways it will be a day like any other. He will wake up and want his breakfast and then refuse it. Try as hard as I can I will scowl at him a couple of times as he pushes aside his spoonful of stewed apples, and I will look forward to the few hours that he will sleep soundly and I can get other things done. Honestly! So what does this say about me as a mother? Is it that I am not excited about his Birthday tomorrow and will it not be special for me? Not really. In fact what it means is that special as his Birthday and all other milestones will be, each day with him is equally special and cherished by me.

Very often in life we wait for that perfect moment or that perfect setting to enjoy and celebrate what we have. Someone may hold on to that rare bottle of wine in anticipation of the perfect moment to uncork it. Another may buy a new dress and wait for that one occasion to wear it. And when that wine sours and that dress goes out of fashion untouched, we lament at the lost opportunity to savour a pleasure that life had offered us. All of us wait like this for something or the other thinking that somehow our happiness will be incomplete unless all our preconceived ideas are met, when all we are really doing is putting conditions on our happiness; a happiness that can be ours everyday.

And this is really what I wish for my son as he turns One. May he realize the value of each and every moment in his life, celebrate every little occasion, every small victory and never miss an opportunity to smile. He will achieve many things as he grows up and there will be many milestones to commemorate, but my hope is that he will not wait for the destination to celebrate but instead rejoice in every moment of the journey that takes him there.

Happy Birthday my prescious and may you smile always! Lots of love from your mummy.