Stay at Home Mom

Aha...thankyou the Star (Nov 3, 2009). These tips come handy just in the nick of time...Being a stay at home (without a helper) for 5 years really a tough test as I have to work 24 hours around the clock and 365 days in a year without any leave.

The worse part is that this profession is salaryless. Some of my friends envy me by calling "a woman of leisure". If only they were in my shoes than ... Well, the grass is always greener on the other side.

I am not only a stay at home mom but A to Z mom. I have to juggle my time from being a mother, chef, chauffeur, judge, gardener, nurse, babysitter, laundry lady, teacher and housekeeper. At the end of the day, I hardly have enough time for myself...

However, all the hard works seem to wash away when you see their face glowing with happiness and satisfactions especially when they get back from school...a sense of security...(just as my four-year old son cried "mama 3x" the moment he saw me fetching him and the brother from preschool).

The beauty of this profession is that it made you become tougher, tolerable, realistic and humane. It also requires extra patience...

The only set back (besides the financial constraint) of being a stay at home mom means restricting my social activities and I do feel lonely at times especially now that my kids have grown up.

So, I have restarted my baking hobby and picking up on sewing while the kids are at school as to kill times. Of course, my favourite pass time is to update my blog. I find that these are fun, enjoyable and mind challenging hobbies as well...

These are the tips listed in the Star on how to be happy as a stay-at-home mom

1. Keep a positive attitude even if you have been awakened four times throughout the night by a sick two-year-old. These days will fly by and someday you will miss such times.

2. Find something you love to do,such as baking or gardening and do it.

3. Join a mom's group to keep you connected with mom of all ages who are going through the same things that you are.

4. Remember that you are a valuable person and that you are doing the hardest work on earth.

5. If you are feeling resentful about it, take a look at your children and know that they are worth your being home and being there for them when ever they need you.

So, to all stay at home mom, do not regret on the decisions that you made up. The rewards are similar to the 'jihad' (those who were killed in the war to safeguard Islams). Alhamdulillah...

The last pair of shoes...

It has been years that I've been avoiding the dark brown rectangular box hidden at a corner of the shoe cabinet. Slowly, I took out the box which was covered with substantial amount of dust. I opened the box, and there ... the pair of brown shoes still in safe and sound condition. Not Cinderella's glass shoes or Jimmy Choo's design . Neither was it classy or branded, just an ordinary pair of shoes. However, the shoes meant a lot to me...



I touched and cuddled it. It brought my memory to my late mother. It was the last pair of shoes I bought for her just before she went to perform hajj with my father in 1995. My mother passed away on Sunday, 6 August 1995, just two months after the hajj. She was 51 years old then. Her sudden death in the accident at km 122.5 off PLUS Highway really changed my perception of life. Actually, it was hard for me to write about this as I was so miserable at that time and depressed for almost a year. The loss was so painful and the sorrow was so much to bear.


I saw my mother as a person full of courage and very cheerful. She had a golden heart and friendly to almost everyone in our neighborhood. Even now, after 14 years she left us and this world, all our relatives and her closed friends kept on talking about her and how much they missed her (especially her giggles) whenever I met them during my balik kampung trips.





It was really touchy as the nenek ( 80 plus lady lived next door to my late mother) could recall the whole incident on the fated day when I paid her a visit during last Hari Raya. I couldn't stop my tears from welling up my eyes...that showed how close she was to our hearts.



My mother did not inherit us any wealth as she did not have any. However, she left us with everlasting memories and precious lessons that we would treasure forever. The most important lesson that she taught us was the true love. Love to ourselves, natures and finally to our Creator.



My mother loved for nature was well nurtured through her garden. She had collections of all kinds of local floras, from jasmines, roses to bougainvilleas...She also stressed on recycles. We used to collect glass bottles (before plastic industries evolution) and old newspapers which we would sell to the collectors. Although, the earning was not much but I really enjoyed every bit of the moment...

She brought up my siblings and me with all the good values, respect and kindness. Of course, the discipline back then was strict and no compromised. However, we loved her as much...I am so thankful and honour to be the person I am now because of a very special person in my life, who I called "mak"...

I took a look at the shoes again...I had a second thought...I decided to pass the shoes to a person who needs one and make good usage of it. I hope my "mak" would be happy with my decision...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6uoGlUP4mM