Your baby’s first birthday marks an important time
in
your
life too, writes
Orla Breeze
.
Party? Who, me?
advice
(rated PG)
S
o, there I was, happily
approaching my firstborn’s first
birthday. Spectacular invitations
had been sent, the world’s
biggest balloons had been ordered
and I’d even spent a whole minute
contemplating making the cake myself. I
said
contemplating
.
Anyway, I was literally up to my neck
in homemade paper decorations when
a very loud and clear voice came
a-shouting into my head:
Hey, you!
Who, me?
Yes, you! I’m in
your
head. Who else
could I be talking to?!?
OK, OK, keep your knickers on!
Actually, I don’t wear knickers. In fact,
I don’t even have a body, but that’s
not the point! I’m here to ask you
something very important indeed.
Oh, you are, are you?
Yes, I am! WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU
DOING?
I’m organising my son’s birthday party.
What’s thebigdeal? It’s not acrime, is it?
No, not a crime exactly, but it is a
terrible shame.
A terrible shame? Throwing a party for
my beautiful boy is a terrible shame?
Are you sure you’re qualified to be
having this conversation with me?
Yes, I’m qualified. I’ve even got a nice
shiny certificate to prove it. I can go
get it for you if you’d like…
No, no, just get on with whatever
you’re trying to tell me. This party isn’t
going to organise itself.
OK, sorry. What I’m trying to tell you
is that, of course, it’s not a shame to
celebrate your son’s life, but it is a
definite shame to leave yourself out.
But I’m not leaving myself out; I’ll be
there too, from start to finish.
And how will you be celebrating
yourself, exactly?
What do you mean, celebrating
myself? It’s not
my
birthday.
Oh, but it is. In a way. Your son’s first
birthday will also mark an entire
year since you became a parent:
since you gave birth to a new life;
since you accepted the challenge of
taking care of another human being,
no matter what; since you jumped
on life’s craziest roller coaster and
stayed on, even though you had no
idea where it was going from one
day to the next. That party you’re
putting all your time into creating will
also be a celebration of all that you
have achieved in the last year. It’ll be
your GreatestDayOfMyLife-versary!
And that, my friend, needs to be
celebrated this year and every year.
Wait! Are you suggesting that I can
actually think about myself? That it’s
OK to take focus off my baby and put
a little onto me?
Not just suggesting: strongly advising.
And you’re sure of this? I mean, I’m not
going to be struck down by lightning
if I open a bottle of champagne or
two, am I? Or kicked out of the World’s
Greatest Mothers Club?
No, not at all. It’s a celebration for all
three of you: Baby, Dad and Mum.
Celebrating yourself as well as your
baby will help you to see exactly how
far
you’ve
come since his birth and
how amazing you truly are.
24
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