Tag Archives: happy

Oribi Mom

Oribi Mom: Daddies Deserve Their Silver

“They give him grey hair rather than gratitude, but that’s a vice the young sometimes only acknowledge when they’re no longer young.”

PHOTO BY PIXABAY

June 22, 2023

“Can you say Mama?”

“Dada.”

And that’s how it’s been for all three of our munchkins. They really love their Dad, and that’s never something to take lightly in this crazy, mixed-up world of ours.

Fathers are so important in children’s lives. Where else would they learn how to play practical jokes on their mothers or their future wives? How else will they learn how to braai the perfect steak or spot a forward-pass when the ref misses it?

Everyone needs a father figure, even if there isn’t a biological Dad in the house. Our home is blessed to have a mommy and a daddy present, and still, it’s a challenge to be the role models these little people need.

Life gets busy. Tasks take the place of time. Housework steals moments for reading books together or watching a bird in the garden. But we do our best because we recognise that it’s an utter privilege to have these small ones in our care.

I’m not sure our boys are old enough yet to realise what a treasure they have in their Daddy. They give him grey hair rather than gratitude, but that’s a vice the young sometimes only acknowledge when they’re no longer young. When they’re suddenly less young, and they need to become responsible for someone else’s well-being, they might see it.

The grey hairs were tokens earned, a priceless collection of all the moments of love.

I hope that our boys see that value invested in their lives as soon as they are able because it might just change the way they see the world.

To all the Dads and Dad-fill-ins out there, I hope you collect many grey hairs and that the young see their worth. Keep sowing love. You’re storing up treasure that won’t rust or fade.

Published here.

Oribi Mom

Oribi Mom: There Is a Time For Everything Under the Sun

“Now, those ears and noses and toes and curls are growing, and my sons are eating me out of house and home.”

PHOTO BY SANDY MILLAR/UNSPLASH

November 2, 2021

Never had four baby bunnies inadvertently born into a dark corner of your lounge on a Friday morning? Then, you probably haven’t witnessed how quickly little pink bodies transform into the sweetest fluffy rabbits. I think it’s the tiny ears that really get me. Almost as cute as the little noses on my sons when they were new to this world.

Now, those ears and noses and toes and curls are growing. And my sons are eating me out of house and home.

Boys and Bunnies Grow Fast

Boys and bunnies are incessantly exploring every new and wonderful thing they come across in life and here I stand, wondering how it all happened so quickly.

As life marches on, I am struck by how often I feel a sense of urgency. I get into a tailspin, trying to do everything at top speed in the ‘free’ moments of each day so that my home, garden, and family are taken care of between work and obligations. What’s the hurry?

Older, wiser people voice the idea of enjoying this time and appreciating the small moments, so why does it always feel like such a rush? Do I really need to fit in the dishes before bathtime so that my toddler’s milk bottle is clean and ready for the long night of frequent wake-ups?

Will I feel better if I have a cup of coffee on the porch instead of hanging washing, stacking dishes, cleaning up toys, preparing pyjamas, turning down bed covers, and finding fresh towels? I don’t know.

There’s a Time for Everything Even If There Isn’t Time for Everything

There are only a certain number of hours in the day, and I’m a thirty-something working-from-home mother of two. Sometimes, being “organised” is very satisfying as my time runs out.

It’s that Ecclesiastes 3 echo again, a time for everything, a season for every activity under the sun. Maybe, this is my season right now.

A rushed, happy, full-of-love season that’s meant for growth. I’m growing plants, pets, and children. I’m growing in my knowledge of snakes, birds, vegetable gardens, and trees. The country is growing used to pandemic lockdowns (it’s been eighteen months!).

There is a season for everything. But that also means that change could be around the corner. For now, I will watch my boys grow and zoom around cleaning, tidying, cooking, washing, feeding, and witnessing this special time in life. And maybe I’ll try to slow down a little to give these new bunnies an extra cuddle while their ears are so adorable.

I hope your season brings you as much joy; be patient if it doesn’t, nothing lasts forever.

Published here.