Retroactive Post Day 17
Theme: Bhakti - Devotion
Question: What did you devote yourself to in 2011? How will you devote yourself in the coming year?
This past year was devoted to two things. The first being my quest to become a mother. I was working hard to read everything I could get my hands on to guide me on the best ways to go about it, the best and healthiest way to treat my body and mind to get me in the right place physically and mentally to be pregnant and be a mother. I've read just about every book and watched just about every film/documentary on pregnancy and childbirth. I've taken the vitamins. I've done my best to stay hydrated. I've charted my cycle and connected with others on the same path for support through the process. I've poured so much money into just the technical, practical aspects of getting pregnant the not-so-old-fashioned way, it's amazed me and made me see how good I can be at saving money when there's an end goal. Seriously, the amount of money I've put into the baby game so far in such a short amount of time (about $5,784 in less than six months, not even counting my tiny nest-building efforts with my little cloth diaper stash and whatnot, vitamins, acupuncture appointments, and massage therapy sessions), it's got me wondering what's taking me so long to pay off my credit cards. It's definitely a think moment.
The other thing I've devoted myself to this past year are my babies that are not my babies. The two children that I look after in my capacity as a nanny. I've been working with the family for nearly four years. Since the Big Girl was 4 mos old, and 18 mos later, the Little One as well. I love them like they are my own. When I visit for Christmas, my family asks me how the girls are. So devoted am I to my work babies that I agreed to move to Hong Kong semi-indefinitely so that we wouldn't have to be so abruptly separated (I got the news that the family was moving to HK in mid-May, and in three short months here we all were). The children have only ever known life with three adults in their immediate family. In some sense, I'm actually the most stable presence of the three at times because while Mummy and Daddy travel for work, *S is always there. Even when Mummy and Daddy aren't traveling, they are working full-time and I'm there for most of the children's waking hours during the week. I couldn't bear the thought of them going to a new home in a new country with a new language and culture, and having to adjust to a new caregiver as well. I also couldn't bear the thought of waking up in the morning to go to a job that wasn't spending all day with them.
The things I plan to devote myself to in the coming year are pretty much the same. Hopefully, I'm pregnant right now and it's just too early to confirm. So I plan to devote the coming year to nurturing my body and the tiny human (hopefully) growing inside, and having the best birth possible to usher a new little life into the world. If it turns out that I'm not pregnant this cycle, then 2012 will be devoted to keeping my mind and body fit and ready for when the opportunity presents itself again. And shoring up my finances to get me to an even better place financially for raising a child (or hopefully children). I also plan to make this a great year for my work babies. Help them learn and grow more every day into ever more curious, questioning, interested and interesting, kind human beings.
The other goal for the coming year is to possibly start some kind of business of my own. Currently, I'm thinking it will be something involving babies and toddlers. Most likely starting with cloth diapers and organic/sustainable infant clothing and accessories. And see where things go from there. Just something that can start small and stay small until I'm ready to grow it bigger. So, Happy New Year to all...it's coming soon. I'm excited to see what it brings.
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