Of Boring Afternoons and a Baby

Here I go again. My hands tugged me to write down my thoughts. These endless days of mothering saw my thoughts racing so much faster, like the white vapor trails left by jetplanes that are blown out of sight by a strong wind. As I wash milk bottles, rock my baby to sleep, or stare at the blue sky while my four-month old baby coos at our little kitties, hundreds of ideas pop in my mind, like the previews of movies in a movie theater—interesting and fleeting.

These are my afternoons of late, boring and characterless in a way because of the routine of childcare that I volunteered myself into, spent mostly on chairs, in front of the TV, and beside the baby crib, walker, and stroller. However, this plateau of plain things also has its precious perks. Because of it, I can weave so many thoughts and visualize plans on my mind, and most of all, I can watch over my little bundle of joy while he grows up and reach every milestone of his infant life. 

Looking back at my life three years back, I would never have so much "boring" windows in a day, save for those I spent stuck in traffic, while on my way home from work, or standing in a bank teller's line on a midday. The term rat race maybe an understatement because I was not only rushing for corporate work and squeezing very little time to accommodate so many deliverables,  I was also racing to go home to take care of my daughter and the household! It was funny how my officemate and I used to wonder how it feels like to make "tanga", or simply stare for an hour without thinking of anything else to do.  

Then I resigned with glee, went on a fruitful freelance work for two years, and had another baby. This time, a boy named Max. As of September 2012, I'm a full-time mom doing the same thing every day. There were offers for me to go back to work, but I chose not to. Thank God for a supportive husband!

This is the time of trading the boredom of monotony for the excitement of working again (and not to mention having my own personal money.) This is the season of routine that I have willed myself into because it will only come to me once.

For now I'll master myself in plans, ideas, endless imaginings, and amuse my heart in TV shows, books, and playtime with my kids. Life as a mom to two young kids have deadlines, and like the professional worker I was, I should deliver the best that I can. Cheers to being a mom!   

   

And so I therefore conclude that boring afternoons are not so boring after all. In fact they are blessings and opportunities. I thank God that I have been blessed to experience such boredom and its blissful benefits.

Pretty soon, I'm back to the race again!