Hodge Podge Proud tigress by June McInnes
Being a mum is a full-time job, I’ve heard that said a lot of times, it’s exhausting and also rewarding at the same time.
It will push you beyond the normal limits of what you think you can achieve. You will not finish a hot meal in years, let alone finish a meal by yourself, there is constant clearing and cleaning up and you are never going to go the toilet alone again.
You would fight anyone who upsets your child and take on any authoritative figure in order to stand up for you child’s rights and wishes. done that, been there, still am there and I promise our children this, so long as I am alive, I will continue to do so with every part of my being. My husband once described me as a tigress protecting her young, I’ll accept that compliment glady.
Being a mum still is the best job I have ever had, there are no money bonuses or a pension plan, you work long thankless hours and I love it. When your children are younger there is the dressing up and sofa forts, the water games in the summer and PB&J’s, pyjamas all day and lots and lots of snuggles, hugs are everything. When they get older one of the best rushes ever is when your child wants to show you something they have drawn or made, just for you, it might be a macaroni picture or a sticky collage, these works of art every mom knows take pride of place in your gallery aka the fridge door. I always encouraged our children to paint, draw, model, imagine, I’ve made card games for them and even wrote story books for them. I was lucky, I was a stay at home mom during the day and did night shifts when my husband was home, especially at the weekends.
Now our children are older, they are as I’ve mentioned before starting to fledge, it’s been a process now for a few years and we are getting down to the last two. One will fledge this summer and then it will be just the one. I do miss them, but its good they are getting on in the world and I am proud of them all and what they have achieved so far, good for them I say. I will miss them not being around and always having someone to chat with or have a cup of tea with.
But that’s ok, that’s how it should be, forward movement. It did strike me the other day that my children only really know me as mom and not the person I used to be, I was watching an old movie with my husband the other day and was struck by the clothes one of the actresses were wearing, I used to dress like that, not because I am actually that old, but because class never goes out style and she could have walked into any venue today and not looked out of place. I guess what I am saying is now the children are moving out I can rediscover myself and have more time to do the things I used to do. maybe dress the way I used to if I don’t look silly, because there’s nothing worse in my opinion than mutton dressed as lamb.
Its weird not making an army’s worth of food for dinner and tea, no packed lunches and I am glad there is no school uniform to wash and dry every night. But ...... I will miss the footsteps in the hall, the random hugs and tickle attacks, the staying up late when their sick and most of all their company, I loved chatting with them and still do. I know they are only moving out and I’ve said they can visit any time, we both love that, but it’s not quite the same. Some people call it empty nest syndrome I call it a job well done, I hope, even now they all know we are here for them and would help in any way we could if they needed it.
So, this birthday I am going to hit the thrift shop and see if I can find anything I like, something from my style and era, I’m starting my own journey, to find me, I’ve been gone for a few years, so its time to see where I went. I’m going to be back dancing in the rain and growing flowers, walking in the woods, drawing, painting, might even start sculpting again, who knows, the sky’s the limit. watch out world. This tiger isn’t dead yet.