The special thing about daughters #4 - I will protect you

Some people say that it is good to have a boy so that he can protect the younger siblings and keep them safe. That might be something I will never be able to truly comprehend. In spite of that, I can't say I disagree with the fact that most boys are physically stronger, more fearless and show mettle in times of danger. Yet, that doesn't mean we should discount the girls when it comes to a will to protect their younger siblings and even the rest of the family.

You see, other than witnessing how my big girl tries hard to teach and nurture her little sister, it is also undeniable that she is the best guardian angel I can ever find. In more ways than one, she does her utmost to help me keep the toddler out of harm's way and these are the things I am grateful for.

1) When we go out, she make sure meimei is in sight and any time she wanders off, Angel will be the first to exclaim "Where's meimei? Where's meimei?" and go in search of her to pull her back.

2) When we go into the elevator, Angel will be the one to press the lift buttons and she will always say "Meimei, you go in first, if not later the door will close and you will be left behind". Nowadays, Ariel has this tendency to rush to the elevator when we see one and although she has not yet entered one without us by her side, Angel is so afraid that she will and therefore, she always dashes up shouting "Meimei WAIT! Don't go in alone, later we cannot find you!"

3) When we cross the road, she tries to hold meimei's hand and if the little one doesn't want to, Angel will put her arm in front of her to stop her from dashing into the road, saying "This is a road. There are cars. We have to wait for Mama, ok?"

Just the other day, one of my friends helped us to look after the kids for an hour. It might be a very short time but you know what, after that, he walked up to tell me "I am very impressed by Angel. She really takes good care of her little sister". I know, I don't need anyone to validate myself or my children, but it makes my my heart smile to see that she is doing awesome as a big sister and is getting better by the day. Given that at one period of time she was somewhat opinionated and wilful, I just feel relieved to see that she seems to be getting more sensible as time passes by.  

Another thing is that this five-year-old not only knows how to protect her sister, she will step up to fend off anyone who tries to do me harm too. Sometimes, the hubby likes to fool around and pretends to be 'hitting' me or have a pillow fight with me. When she sees that I am 'in pain', she rushes up with the pluck of a warrior, stands in front of me and shouts "Don't hit my Mama!" Then, she would hug and use her body to cushion me. How sweet, right?

It so reminds me of the time when I lost a baby. At that time, this girl was only 21 months old but when she saw the tears flowing down my cheeks, she wiped them off for me. And then, she cried with me. If there is one thing I have realised, it is how absolutely, wonderfully awesome it feels to have a child to share your joy and sorrow with.

Now now, this post is not just about the big sister. In fact, it was inspired by the little one. Yes, the two-year-old who would share all her goodies with the family and give up her last sweet for me was the one who made my heart melt.

We were walking to the mall when we realised that it was starting to drizzle and we had no brolly with us. Since the building was just a short distance away, we started to walk at a brisk pace and I decided to carry the toddler. Then, she could feel the raindrops and she said "Mummy, it's raining." So I told her to use her palm to cover her head and assured her that we would be reaching soon.

Her first reaction was to put her right palm on top of her head and the next second, without hesitation, she put her left palm on mine. I was surprised by her sweet gesture and looked at her fondly in the eyes, that was when she looked back at me and gave me a sweet, dazzling smile.

Awwww. Well, maybe some people will say that she was just being cheeky or just doing it for fun, but there are many other ways that this tiny being has shown me how much she loves me and I can't be more thankful for that.

If a picture could paint a thousand words, that scene would speak of endless love. I'm reminded that being a mum was probably the best decision I have ever made. Thank you for loving me as much as I love you, my dears.