Soldiering On

I suspect there’s been a reoccurring theme amongst many households with young families this past week after the loss of a popular young mum from our community.

As one of her friends said: “I was busy doing paper runs for both my children, then making lunches for them and generally running around after them. ‘‘Gosh,” I thought, “Aren’t I lucky that I can do that!” I will never think of it as a chore again because of you!”

I have recalled these words all this second week of the school holidays – commonly a trialing time for stay-at-home parents.

After running out of excuses to give Miss Four who’d been begging to paint my nails (and fingers) in stripes of all the colours of the rainbow from the nail art set I’d (rather thoughtlessly in hindsight) given her for her birthday, I finally fell victim. Then reminded myself this was a privilege.

Despite being up to my elbows in meatball mixture, instead of telling Master Four, who was perfectly fine, I was too busy to come to him for yet another cuddle, I thought of our 32-year-old friend and her two precious pre-schoolers who, although with a wonderful dad, will no longer receive cuddles from their mummy and I washed my hands and went to him.

If I’m ever brave enough to catch another bus into town for a holiday treat and the boys, high on fizzy drink and cake from Tiffanys, laugh raucously about farts and bums all the way home on the otherwise quiet bus, I might be proud they’ve brought ill-suppressed smirks to the other passengers’ faces, instead of turning round to the one behind me and asking whose kids they are.

When we walked up to the shops yesterday and Miss Four was dragging behind I picked her up and thought she was giving me a little kiss, then realised she was wiping snot on my shoulder. Sure, that’s fine, I don’t mind wearing snot on my sleeve, I told myself and gave a giggling Missy a poke.

When the tenth fight erupts before 8.30am I’ll … well maybe I’ll draw the line there – I only have so much patience.

Another young mother who’s inspired me over the last two weeks is Anna MacDonald, sister of murdered Fielding man Scott Guy. Despite all the adversity she’s faced, she is still soldiering on as a young single mother of four kids and I watched her on 60 Minutes with admiration as she danced with abandon around the lounge with her children.

Nadia’s funeral service on Monday was beautiful, like she was, and I’ve put her photograph on the fridge to remind me to treasure those special moments.

And now I think of Nadia when I crank her favourite song - Sir Mix-a-lot’s Baby Got Back. Funnily enough, I’d just downloaded it the week before for the kids and, ahem, me to dance around the lounge to – Anna MacDonald-style.