It was my first Valentine’s Day being both a wife and mom. Kayo and I set a date knowing that both our Moms will not be available to baby sit so we would have to take Summer out to dinner with us. We even agreed on eating at a japanese restaurant near our place so we could easily go home in time for Summer’s bedtime without having to encounter heavy traffic. I totally didn’t mind. Being a new mom has taught me to let go of the ideal weekend, vacation or holiday where I could celebrate, party or relax the way I used to when I was single or newly-married. Now, almost everywhere I go, I have a baby in tow and I have learned to love, enjoy and make the most of it.
True enough, last Tuesday, celebrating Valentine’s Day with my husband in a crowded restaurant with a baby who would not stay seated in her high chair for more than ten minutes, I experienced real, stripped down, authentic love. Summer, as if on cue, pooped right when our food was served. Thankfully, nobody else seemed to have smelled the poopy scent! So Kayo and I put our chopsticks down and crammed into the tiny public toilet in the restaurant to change the baby’s diaper. In that small space, we laughed and sang the Alphabet Song together out loud so Summer would stay still for her nappy change. I looked at Kayo as he held Summer’s chubby legs up and I knew right then and there that love could never be more real than this. Kayo and I watching out for one another, accepting each other completely, helping each other pay the bills, taking turns entertaining the baby and changing dirty diapers, choosing to be grateful everyday for the life we live despite of how imperfect and unglamorous it is – that is when love comes alive.
February the 14th is when we all celebrate love but everyday is when we all actually learn and live it. I was happy to have had a simple Valentines Day. Far from romantic, messy, smelly even, but it may have been my most meaningful yet. Just the way I hoped it would be.
PHOTOS ABOVE: 1) Kayo and Summer: My Valentines; 2) Pop-up Valentine Card which I made for Kayo on that same morning with Summer’s little help 😉
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