How does it feel to have hit the double digit number? It must have been so exciting that you wanted to bake your very own birthday cake on your birthday too!
You have inspired me to discover something new. As you grow, you give me more reasons to look forward to learning new skills and build upon my, well, old yet obsolete ones. I knew at once we were going to be different persons. When you were a few months old, you made me hunger for chocolate milk. When you were a few weeks old, you had me singing you to sleep. We even have our own song. When you were a few years old, you taught me that croutons were great comfort snacks. That was the first time I actually learnt how to bake. You love sweets and chocolate, I have to acquire the taste for them. Baking was never for me but you taught me how to enjoy it, by watching how you enjoyed eating cakes and cookies.
When you cry, it makes me feel more needed. Come to think of it, it is only when you stop crying and start playing again that I know your needs are met. Meeting your needs, whether it is feeding you, cooking for you, reading to you or simply hugging you in bed till you fall asleep, demands nothing more than my time and attention. Hugging you before you sleep and when you wake up in the morning are multi-vitamins for my soul. I must admit, I tell you white lies so that I can leave you alone in your bedroom. My prayers are as strong as your cries for attention. And you have cried many times in your life, especially when you haven’t learnt how to say, “Mummy, I am hungry.” Languages meant nothing then, action spoke louder than words.
When I spoke to you in Malay, Chinese, Bahasa Indonesia and English languages during your early childhood years, you might have thought that I was telling you jokes with different sounds. You laughed and imitated every word I said. I could tell you were a great listener because every word you repeated came out succinct and perfectly pronounced. Language is a game not a name. I could never explain the differences in the languages that I spoke. I just had to present them to you as they came.
You are now as proficient as the first day you spoke in 3 languages. I am in awe by your determination to grow. Whenever you grow a year older, you have added another year of wisdom and experience to my life’s journey. I thank you for the 10 years that we have been together.
Best wishes.
Yours lovingly
