When Little Things Count

Just last week I was exercising on my treadmill when darling daughter came into the room and looked at the moving treadmill with curiosity. Next she put her tiny foot on the treadmill and I immediately told her, "Don’t do it! You may fall down." She quickly withdrew her foot and ran away.

After a few minutes, she peeked into the room at me. "What do you want, Sweetie?? I asked her, still running on my treadmill.

"Be careful, Mummy. Don’t fall down," she said, looking at me with concern in her big eyes."

My heart immediately melted and I turned to her with a smile, "Don’t worry, Mummy will not fall." And her little concern just brightened up my day.

There were also the times when she saw me nursing a bad cold and asked me, "Are you ok, Mummy?"; or when she just snuggled up to me on the sofa and gave me a hug and cooed "I love you" in my ears; or when she re-arranged my wind-blown hair like it’s the most natural thing to do.

Such tender, thoughtful moments I wished I could keep them all in a memory album. And when I am old and greying, bring them out to savour such sweet moments again.

Of course, my darling child is not like an angel every day. There were also frustrating moments of tantrums and other wilful misbehaviour which I hope is just the passing phase of toddlerhood.

Then again, why should I expect my child to be perfect when I am not a perfect parent? I’m already thankful to have this child to hold and to love in my lifetime. And when she does make me feel like tearing my hair out and cry tears of frustration, I will just recall those times when she did or said the little things that meant so much to me.