Take Your Child to Work Day

Sometimes I try to pick up a memory based on a theme like say Christmas 1990 and then wander around the halls of my memories of all Christmases past. Well we're not going there today. Instead I stumbled onto a journey of "Take your Child to Work Day".

My earliest memories were of being whisked (usually classes getting cancelled due to incoming typhoon) from school by my father and I have to spend the rest of the day at his office. I have fond childhood memories of my Papa's office

The first thing is the smell of air-conditioning, which later as an adult I would describe as stale cigarette smoke but very cold. And then there were those marble floors and walls at reception, and those modern elevators that have softly illuminated touch sensitive buttons instead of the usual clunky black Bakelite buttons of older models. Even the soft ding announcing its arrival had a richness to it. Perhaps because it was an actual chime being triggered by an electric  relay. It was the modern office of its time, it had to be, it was the offices of IBM Philippines.

I also have memories of my mother taking me to work at her office in Escolta. I was very young, maybe four? I remember a lot of walking "downtown" as it was referred to back then. I also recall a Philippine government office my mother worked in for a while, it was an old building maybe built just after the war, and it had no air-conditioning. As I try to stitch it all together in my personal  memories playlist, I realise that it didn't really stop even after I've grown up into adulthood. I still visited him to maybe catch a lift, or just because I was in the neighborhood.  The one consistent thing is that my parents were always proud of me when they presented me to their colleagues.

Fast forward to today, when I woke up accepting that it will be a challenging day of back to back Salsa 4 Seniors classes #B2BS4S.  But wait a minute, today is also the last day of radiation treatment for Beatriz! It is also today that she had to speak before a legal panel deciding the outcome of a high rise development next to our local school.  Yeah, big day for all. We have been looking forward to today and it has arrived.

I could do with some support today. Luckily, my daughter Alexandra said she was going to "see" if she could accompany me on my classes today. Over the last few years  I have cultivated an attitude of zen when it comes to getting facetime with Alex. Let's just say that I wish I could see her more.   I will take every chance I can get to spend even a little bit of time with her even if it's just 12 minutes at a train platform before we go catch our respective trains. The idea of sharing a day with her is huge.

I send Alex a quick text message just in case she forgot and there is still a chance to make it. My phone rings and it's her, She just got up. She forgot. She'll catch the bus to Chiswick. I message her the bus route.

My heart suddenly feels lighter. I make my way to Chiswick class but now getting really excited about having facetime with Alex. And  I could also use her as my teaching assistant, oh what fun that will be. You couldn't wipe the smile off my face when Alex walked through that door at the start of class.

I was a proud father when I introduced Alex to my students. And then it occured to me.

This is "Take Your Child to Work Day"  [adult child edition].

I was instantly drawn back into a vortex of countless memories of the times I took her to work as she was growing up. How strange it must be for her to witness my changing career choices. From offices at North Ryde and Rhodes, to teaching dance in community halls.  Until now, I bet she's unsure how big a part she's played into making my life what it is today.

Alex: You reminded me how to live in trust rather than in fear of our future. Today, this perfect day, and many different things contributed to making it perfect. Today is made possible with you convincing me that it will all turn out great in the end. You were right.

I took my child to work today and I hope she is proud of me as I am proud to be her father.

Happy Mother's Day

I'm roused by Saffira coming into the bedroom announcing "Happy Mother's Day Mummy!"  I thought SHIT I'm supposed to do breakfast in bed. I'm still in bed. So as the obligatory hugs and kisses exchange happens I managed to hustle Saffira out of the room and back into the kids bedroom to go fetch Vida.  My desperate plan was to convince the girls to let Mummy have a little sleep in to buy me enough time to knock up breakfast in bed.

Or should I say breakfast part one?  As part of the day's festivities we will also be having brunch with their grandmother next door.  -All attended by their uncles, aunties and cousins. It was going to be a big day. But first our intimate little breakfast part one.

As soon as Vida awakes the first words out of her mouth were "We need to get my nothers day pwesents fwom downstairs." Alrighty then, I take the girls downstairs to retrieve the presents.
Vida had spent the week at childcare making a card with a photo and sparkles. Unfortunately Saffira had no present this year, so I enlisted her help to make a present by going to Big W and printing a photo to put in a frame.

We retrieved both presents, but I was frustrated in my attempts to convince them to let mummy have a sleep in. The little darlings couldn't wait to give their presents to Mummy. Switch to plan C (Plan A was getting up before the kids did)  What's Plan C? Follow the girls upstairs and film the event.

The girls climb on to bed with Mummy, and amidst all the hugs and kisses exchange, she still manages to ask me where was her breakfast in bed? I gulped and I apologised, I gestured toward the kids and begged that the day had already gotten away from me as soon as both girls were up. But if you give me a moment, darling, I might still conjure one up.

I stopped filming and slipped out of the room to start making some dulce de leche sandwiches and tea. I did manage to conjure up a tray with sandwiches, tea, and an orchid in a champagne glass. Right after she had already gotten up, gone downstairs and gone back up again to make the bed. Does that still count?

Where did all this stress and over expectation come from? Why don't we just celebrate mothers day as often as we want and whenever we want? Do we really need to out-do last year or the year before ? When we share on social media, should we remind ourselves that it's not a competition?

All I am teaching my kids is to take time to honour and thank the person who is their longest relationship, their first influence. She who brought each of us unto existence.  Thank you Mother.