Hi Lovely Readers!
The time for me to say goodbye to my temporary charges is almost here, a few more sleeps to go and they'll be back with their parents. It's been a chaotic 6 weeks, whilst also being extremely enlightening. I have learnt so much, there have been so many lessons I've had to learn and I've had to draw on resources within myself which I didn't even realise I had.
The biggest lesson I learnt (again) is that I am certainly not in control of my life, and I say this with a smile on my face; I had always stated emphatically that I was done with babies, sleepless nights, nappy changes and baby throw-up all over my clothes. My baby is at an age where he is independent and I am able to move about without restriction. And then bam! ... My Creator decreed that this was not for me to decide and gifted me with two little ones to caretake for a few weeks. And there we were, back to nappy changes, bathing a baby and toddler, feeding them via trial and error (I could not remember what to feed the one year old!), baby throw up, sniffles, and teething and so on...
Lesson: Watch what you say... you never know what life will hand you 🤭
When people heard that I had accepted the honour of looking after my brother's babies, they were sympathetic, wishing me well and saying I was brave. My response was that it was really a no-brainer, they were going for an ibadah, to fulfil the final pillar of their faith. How could I not embrace the privilege of looking after our esteemed pilgrims dearest kids? I also held fast onto the belief that Allah SWT would not place an insurmountable burden on me, especially if it was in the way of an ibadah. So while it was really busy, and a shock to my household, I also realise that it was so much easier than I had anticipated. And this taught me the lesson that having faith in my Creator is the best way to deal with any situation I may find difficult. HE will bring me through any difficulty I may face. ♥️
Furthermore, I was thrown in the deep end, so to speak, and having to navigate my way through having 5 kids overnight. However, as crazy as it was, these little ones brought a lightness into the home, a busyness to our lives and kept us on our toes.
Lesson: with every trial there is a positive outcome, whether it's just the life lesson or an actual tangible advantage (like the kids laughter, the toys scattered around the house and the liveliness at the supper table).
During this time we were very restricted as a family, as a couple, and so was I. My time was no longer my own, my sleep was frequently broken, and I was constantly picking up after the little ones. But despite this new landscape, the sudden change meant I had to draw on resources deep within. I needed to access a well of patience (with myself) and learn to accept that things wouldn't always happen when I need them to, or on my terms. My (now infrequent) control freak had to be put to rest completely if I were to remain sane. I had to learn to not be too hard on myself when a day passed and I didn't get to do everything I had intended to. Or when my work suffered, or when dinner was late... I started off trying to keep my life as it had been before and this was a huge mistake. I had to learn to integrate my independent life with my now restricted life- which was hard for me. Learning to say no to dinner dates and suppers, putting birthday celebrations on hold, managing an even crazier Eid were all things I had to manage. It may have been unfortunate, and it meant that I was unable to connect with friends as I usually do, unable to attend early bridal showers and events. It was a time to be still and absorb the beauty of this time, the pilgrimage.
I am thankful for the gift of this stillness, as I was able to reflect on my Hajj of the previous year, and be in touch with this years Hujaaj. It was a gift to relive my experience, while there were so many pilgrims keeping me and my family in their prayers, Algamdulilah.
Today's lookpost is therefore a celebratory one, wrapping up my lessons of the past 6/7 weeks. It is appropriate that it should feature the classic wrap dress, a classic silk scarf and classic leopard print pumps.
Outfit Details:
For U Clothing Wrap Dress
Opulence Silk Scarf
Nine West leopard heels
Sunglasses old
YSL Vintage bag
H & M Stockings
Caio for now,
RuBe xoxo