Making Lasting Memories

There were balloons, cake, games, and pizza.  Did I say cake? What a memorable weekend it has been!

This weekend we celebrated our daughter Kendelle’s 3^rd birthday. This was her first ‘Big Girl’ party.  Imagine, a 3 yr old requesting a Minnie Mouse Cake, chips and everything in the colour pink… including pink snow! Her wishes came true, with the exception of the pink snow, which she quickly forgot about once her friends arrived and the party began.  In a matter of minutes our homes was filled with squeals, giggles and chatter from the little girls who took over our home to join in the birthday celebration.

 With the sweet sound of Raffi playing throughout the house, I took a moment to stop what I was doing in the kitchen and watch Kendelle play with her friends.  Right before my eyes, my baby turned into a little girl. How quickly time slips by when you’re having fun!  And boy has it been fun these past 3 years with this little girl we call our ‘babe’.

I cannot help but feel nostalgic thinking of my own childhood. The sacrifices my parents would make to ensure that our special day was as memorable as it can be. They wanted to make memories for my siblings and I. Bless you Mom and Dad and thank you for those lasting memories…

And now my husband and I are making those lasting memories. Yes there has been lack of sleep  and energy.  But we pushed everything aside, and shook away those sleepy eyes just to show our daughter how much she is loved and treasured by us.  The sacrifices we make as parents for children should be done with no reservations and just pure, untainted raw love.

Make those lasting memories for your children, or the children in your lives.  They will treasure it!

Being Present

Well… the first week of the New Year has come to an end.

Happy New Year! I think I can say that until February.

As the first day of the New Year rolled in, my husband and I with (our daughter) celebrated our son’s 6 month birthday.  There was no cake or huge gathering.  We simply said Happy Birthday, prayed and thanked God for the 6 months that He has given to us to enjoy this little boy named Taren. We chose to be present, and embrace that flash of time.  I reflect upon this special day.  How important it is to be emotionally present and to be in the HERE and NOW?  Because of that decision, I was able to capture love in its purest form by seeing how Kendelle and Taren gaze at each other, and giggle and play together.  I was able to slow down and relish a memory that will last forever.  Yes, dinner needed to get on the table, then bath and bedtime, but I pushed all that aside and focused on being present.

We can condition ourselves to just ‘go through the motions, saying the right words, or what we think needs to be said.  We tend to do what we are obliged to do. In this state, we are far from present.  We are shells of people checking off our ‘emotional checklist’.  We are on ‘response-overload’ with no feelings attached.

So what are we feeling?  What’s our true emotional state?  When we ask someone, ‘how are you’?  Do we really want to know the answer?  Are we truly listening?  How easy it is to take these things for granted and just move onto the next task, thought, or feeling. It can be so easy to get wrapped up in the ‘Hustle and Bustle’ of life. Making ourselves available for another person can be a challenge. But what a difference it makes not only in your life but that person’s.

 Challenge yourself to be present for another person. You never know the impact it may have!

“The greatest gift you can give (yourself or anyone else) is just being present”
― Rasheed Ogunlaru



God Bless

Roseanne