I turned 35 a few weeks ago, which made me realised that I am officially in my mid-30s. When I was in my 20s, I’ve always wondered what life at 35 would be like. Well, now that I am already living the life, I wouldn’t say that it is “like I’ve always imagine” (I had a wild imagination back then) – but I’d say that I’ve gone through some life-changing moments.
Guess that’s what being a mum does to you!
At the same time, the mid-30s is also like a rude reminder that time is ticking away and that my little girl is growing up just a little too fast for my liking. But the optimistic me made the choice not to dwell on the negatives, and instead focus on the things that I have been blessed with in the past 35 amazing years.
There’s simply too many to list down, but here’s my compilation of 35 things that I am thankful for, as I turn 35 this year:
- My better half – for always being there for me and putting up with my quirks and demands 🙂
- My parents – for always believing in me, even when I’ve lost hope (or interest) in the things that I’ve set forth to do
- My group of close friends from school – although we don’t really keep in touch so often anymore due to the demands of being a mum and wife, we will always stand by each other during happy and tough times!
- The travel opportunities – first with my parents as a child, and then with the hubby from the moment we started dating right up to today. Glad that I have found someone who loves exploring new places as much as I do.
- Writing – not only is this therapeutic, it has led me to a career that I enjoy waking up to each day.
- The TV shows – from 90210 and One Tree Hill to Grey’s anatomy, these painted a picture of how other people around the world lived their lives – and they were the perfect way to destress on weekends.
- Australia – where I got to study and live for a couple of years, and met the love of my life and some great friends there!
- The Internet – this has changed the way people work, live and study!
- Blogging – not only for being a convenient outlet to express my thoughts, but also for being a great medium to showcase the things that I feel strongly about
- Education – from high school to college and university, I am grateful to be able to complete my study goals – and I have my wonderful parents to thank for pushing me!
- The jobs that I’ve held in the past years – for challenging me to think further and helping me grow into the person I am today
- The colleagues I met along the way – for being my pillars of support at work and for the friendships that were formed along the way
- Connections and networks I’ve formed – this has led me to some very interesting people and helped me break my reluctance towards attending social events
- Little things that remind me to cherish all the people in my life
- Subtle reminders from friends not to give up hope
- My book collection – which has been collecting dust for years, as I struggle to find time to just read and enjoy a book…uninterrupted (I know this will probably not happen anytime soon)
- My photo collection – in both print and digital forms, for these serve as reminders of life’s sweetest moments!
- Realising that nothing in this world is ever perfect – and that I should stop trying so hard to aim for perfection all the time
- Breastfeeding – for being able to nourish and bond with my little one in a remarkable sort of way
- Breast Pumps – for teaching me about the true meaning of perseverance and sacrifice, and putting my “creativity” to the test when it comes to spacing my pump breaks and hustling to find a place to pump!
- Pregnancy – to be able to go through the joys of having a little one grow inside of you. I hope to be able to go through the experience again soon! *fingers crossed*
- Being a mum – it’s a learning curve every day, but a really satisfying journey that is filled with joy, tears and a lifetime of lessons
- My little girl – for teaching me about patience (still working on that!) and reminding me to “stop and smell the roses” in life
- Quiet moments spent with my little girl – and the kisses and hugs she gives so generously
- Paints, crayons and coloured pencils – these are the starting points of my little girl’s adorable artworks she so proudly displays on the fridge
- Stickers in all shapes and sizes – and then finding little traces of these stuck on every corner of the house (at time of writing, I have them on the floor, washing machine, dryer and kitchen counter)
- My little girl’s drawings – these tell me a lot about her favourite things and what is going through her mind at that point in time
- Help from both our parents – especially during the first years as parents.
- Household appliances – especially those that make cooking, cleaning and washing a breeze
- Phones and devices – for which, I think most of us find it challenging to live without
- Short trips back home – it makes me treasure the time get to spend with my family
- Pop-up books – not only for the cute illustrations, but I love how they make the little one laugh and giggle endlessly!
- Hugs and kisses from the little girl – these remind me that I am the most important person in her life, right now
- That sweet baby smell – I’m convinced that my almost-4-year-old still has that baby scent!
- For the love that surrounds me each day – again, a reminder not to take things for granted.
One Tree Hill and Grey’s Anatomy. I missed the original casts! I stopped watching Grey’s the moment they killed McDreamy. Lol
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