10.2.12

Ground Hog day – a story of happy

I had no idea of this bizarre American tradition until I saw the movie of the same name, and to many I think that ‘ground hog day’ is, due to the movie, synonymous with the idea of a repeated day.
I’m sure you’ve sometimes come to the end of a day with a feeling of relief ‘thank god that’s over’ and a horror that a day might be repeated.

A while ago I had an idea for a meme, along the theme of repetition but rather than one of horror, one of joy, and rather than just a day, a year. A year of you life that you loved and really wouldn’t mind living again.
Maybe it would be your first year! A year of cosy cuddles, warm milk, love and sleep. Or a year from your early years before school, or even of school age, where there were long summer holidays spent fishing in streams or playing on the beach. Perhaps you didn’t have an idyllic childhood, so you would rather forget it, rather relive your first year at university, free at last, drinking, partying (studying a bit), or the year you got a promotion and a job you loved. The year you got married, finally realised who you wanted to be with (even if this changed later). So many great moments in life to relive.

At first I thought that my repeated year would be when I was 19. I was supposed to be resitting my A levels but instead I was discovering young love and nightclubbing. It was the 80s all wild hairstyles, new romantics and flirting. I had a ‘proper’ boyfriend for the first time. I got my own flat, a job and started to feel like a person separate from home life, finally an adult…but…


But the more I thought about it the more I realised the actual year I would choose to relive again and would be the first year of DDs life. I was lucky enough to have the most delightful birthing experience ever, so I’d start the year right when my waters broke. I had a water birth and was home next day. I was lucky enough to be able to take a year off work and had a husband at home too (as he had retired) we had a puppy and a young dog and now a new baby. A baby that learned to feed after a panicky start and then slept through the night like an angel after about 6 weeks. That Summer was filled with country walks and sunshine. A young baby discovering a world around her, filling us with love and laughter everyday.
We used an off road buggy so that we could take the dogs for walks by the canal, along the river and across the South Downs.

We visited museums, beautiful country houses, the beach, Wales… We also went to Butlins and toddler soft play areas. We took her for pub lunches (she didn’t drink as much as I did).

Going back to work at the end of that year was the hardest thing I ever did. I was commuting to London, trying to be a mum while out of the house 5 days a week from 6am until 9.30pm. I didn’t see her awake for days at a time. My lovely husband called it a day when he saw me crying over the cot one morning. So I started working closer to home. I would stop my repeated year right before I went back to work.

But would I want to repeat the year over and over for ever? Of course not. I would miss each year that DD grew older. The hilarious things she said as she learned to talk. Her bright take on life. Seeing my husband being a brilliant dad and teaching her things that I can’t (like music and maths). And now that she is approaching the dreaded teens she still makes me laugh with her wicked dry wit.
So what year would you repeat and why? Tell me the happiest time of your life, and I sincerely hope that future years will be even better.

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5 comments:

  1. Children ... with every step there is a new challenge and a new blessing :))

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  2. Anonymous10/2/12

    I would relive the day when hubby, 3 kids, and I were camping. We all stayed up late, laying on a rock in the middle of nowhere, looking up at the stars, watching the odd comet go by. It was the most peaceful family experience.

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  3. Anonymous11/2/12

    I have nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award because I love reading your blog
    Thank you!
    http://toxicvegan.com/

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  4. Anonymous29/2/12

    I would relive last year. Three kids under three and total mayhem morning noon and night. Just ace :)

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