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Showing posts from 2018

No Good Actor!

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Last night I received two handmade cards. One from Little Miss the other from The Baby. Little Miss wrote, Mummy, I love you very very much, love Little Miss. The Baby can write her name, mummy, daddy and her boyfriend’s name (she refuses to learn to write Little Miss).   So, she drew a pretty picture, wrote Mummy, The Baby and drew, cut out and coloured four sweets (two for her, two for me). Before presenting them to me, I could hear them whispering in the hall,   ‘She is going to cry, they will be what she calls ’tears of joy’   they then started arguing over which card I will cry harder for. When presented with the first card, I genuinely tear with emotion. As I read through the card, I realized what the two were arguing about in the hall, and while incredibly moved with The Baby’s beautiful card – I forced myself to turn on the tears for her card in an attempt to have them match the first round of tears. I failed. Miserably. The Baby, dissatisfied with quant

International Women's Day. Or Women's every day.

Since my last blog – my sensitivities towards gender equality are heightened.  My little girl is invited to a boy’s birthday party – she is the only girl. She plays with the boys. For some time I battled with the idea that something was up.  When I asked what the girls do during recess  – she replied with ‘they’re boring, they sit and talk about clothes, boys, who they will marry’  I was left astounded. They’re 7!  It’s with great relief that Ms. 7 prefers to run, play, shout, climb trees, playfight, be a superhero or a monster. Yesterday’s celebration of the international women's day made me question. We celebrate women, adult women. There are business women’s networking talks, we celebrate female heroes, we celebrate organisations that support EEO.  But…. what messages we sharing with little girls to help them get through each and every day? Are we telling them to burn the plastic tea set and climb a tree? That it is ok to be, feel and act differently, because th

The sisterhood in practice: Mothers fight back!

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I am a proud member of a closed Facebook mothers group entitled Foreign Mothers & Mothers to Be in Athens. This is a group of women I have met, many only online who have become my sisters. They are my ‘go to group’ for answers, support, advice, and laughs.  We celebrated a coup today (not the sudden, violent, and illegal seizure of power from a government type by an instance of successfully achieving something difficult). And I am proud. Very proud. Not for the group – but for what we have achieved for our children…  Since distributing the below statement today to the press in Greece and since agreeing to bombard retailer websites, schools and registering complaints online over the last two weeks, many retailers have removed what we have considered to be inappropriate images of young girls in fancy dress.  Mothers in Athens come together to put an end to the sexualisation of little girls Apokries in Greece should be a special time filled with fun, laughter, and of cours

Calm

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Today I heard a saying to describe somebody that does nothing, who is lazy.  The saying is in Greek, but easily translatable.  They say ‘he/ she is flying a kite’   The hand action for flying a kite often accompanies the saying.  I couldn’t help but giggle. The individual my friends were referring to often is also described as an employee ‘scratching themselves’– another saying that means, doing nothing. It’s a funny description but an awful perception to have of someone. Or is it I wonder?  I turned to look at this individual who seemed relatively content, happy, relaxed. My two ‘rays of light’ combined with juggling a fulltime job I like (though at times mundane), additional consulting work, play dates, attempts to exercise, cook and clean house leaves me with little time for kite flying. I have forgotten what it’s like. Would I think more creatively, or would my mind be blank, empty, rested? Would I be more passionate or less? One thing is for certain – it w

Another year and its only the beginning

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Another year passed and then another - and here we are. An accomplishment in reflection. The recent years have been a very bumpy uncomfortable ride. I haven't had the luxury 4WD to navigate my way through it smoothly. My beat up little car that stalls and rolls backward on hills, that sounds perpetually out of breath is just that. Out of breath. Throughout the hardship - and I mean American TV soap opera drama I have looked at my two little rays of light.  The two little beings that breathe air into my lungs, who make me throw back my head and laugh wholeheartedly and who make me forget all my woes and remind me that life is for adventure, cuddles, giggles, and love and I am thankful and finally inspired. I am back. Not in full, but in part. Peeping out and waving madly around the army of boring routine, work, bills, stress and consistent ball juggling.  Can you see me? If no, never mind. I am writing for a tiny little audience this time..me. My public declaration to myself