Maternity Talks, Sales and the "Great Joy"

I don’t made plans tonight and after my exceptional evening last night, I just planned to stay sober.

It’s near 7pm and we, me and my mom should be having dinner soon, but I just felt that I want to go out. I just wanted to visit my niece, the popular Riley.

Riley is the daughter of my cousin who lives few blocks away from our place. She just turned three months last Tuesday. I wasn’t able to see her though, I was so tired. I came from the hospital to visit my uncle and ran some errands that Tuesday. Anyway, I am here now tonight to visit her.

My gift for Riley Cute baby head bands from Keishables.

My cousin was surprised to see me. His ever so busy cousin is at their doorsteps.

“I am here for Riley”, I said with a giddy smile.

It’s funny because I was just like visiting a friend on impulse, and in fact I was so excited to see her, it’s like seeing a girl friend and having some girl talk – somehow I forgot that Riley is, a baby.

My “kuya” (a Filipino term for elder brother or elder male) let me in and directed me towards their room, and there she was – already sleeping.

So babies sleep early huh?

Okay. I didn’t know that… and I didn’t know that they are so sensitive, they wake up easily. I can’t play with her tonight, even I wanted to wake her up. Oh, I wanted to wake her up with my kisses so bad!

So I ended up having an insightful girl talk and bonding with my cousin’s wife…. And I have an awakening conversation about maternity.

She shared a lot about maternity though…She gave me advice on this and that, on pregnancy and giving birth. Most part, I cannot relate, but there are some lessons I tried to remember:

1. I learned how to clean the baby’s ears, tongue and even her nose. Wow, so even babies must have their noses clean? I don’t know, for some reason  found that amazing.

2. When you become a parent, especially when you are the mother – you will have this connection that even there is a bunch of babies crying, you will know which one is your baby’s voice. Amazing… I thought again.

and

3. You should wait at least 18 months before you get pregnant again – or else your uterus may rupture. – Now that scared me. The word “ruptured” itself was stuck in my mind and I imagined an actual uterus tearing apart and like exploding or whatever… So okay, I will wait for 18 months… I promise!

So there. Wow. Most of the things Mye, my cousin’s wife shared was, if not foreign, overwhelming for me.  But I don’t know – there’s too many I can’t remember.  At least those are the top three I remembered… and yes, the whole idea sinked in and the “whole idea” I was able to grasp was:  it is HARD… but such a JOY.

HARD and such a JOY.

Two words, two opposite poles.

How can I combine Hard with Joy? Maybe it’s like doing my creations, my frames for example. Creating it – the hammering, the painting – it is hard, but once you are done – once they are created, it is such a joy to actually see them. I become so proud! “Those are my babies!”

Is it like that?

Or “hard” in a way like closing a deal or getting that sale, that long awaited sale – and once you get it –  once it’s closed and actually a sale – Oh, I’m on top of the world! I feel I am unstoppable!

Was it like that?

I just have no idea. I don’t know what does Hard and Joy have in common. I can only compare it with my own experience – my experience in Crafts and Sales.

Staring at her, my cousin’s wife and their baby, my beautiful niece, Riley – I don’t know what was it – though I know now that pregnancy is really hard according from Mye’s experience; C-section and going under preeclampsia (yes, preeclampsia), it must be really frightening… what was it that by just seeing them makes me want to smile and … Just….

Smile?

I am at lost for words. One thing is for sure though, and it is not logic who dictates - that what I am seeing…

Riley…

….. she’s such a Great Joy.

Isn’t she?