Recently, I read an online article that talks about Finland's education system and how they believe in less is more. Having lived in Scandinavia for a good four years, I always had the impression that the education there is less stressful, the classroom is a more joyous place and the children have a more carefree, and may I say, happier childhood. While that is very much up for debate, I have to tell you that I do believe in the philosophy that less can indeed be more.
It's the same as how many of us may use all our life chasing after that one big thing, whatever it may be, only to look back in twilight years and realise that life was actually in the small things. Do you sometimes feel the same way too?
In this month's "Happiness is...", I try to remind myself that life is not about achieving a feat, it's about savouring those fleeting moments even if they involve meagre, or zilch, accomplishments.
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Joy is....
... coming up close to nature and witnessing its awe-inspiring beauty.
... seeing your kids riding on a merry-go-round and realising how little it takes to make them smile.
... exploring new places and feeling the rare tranquility you can find on our island.
... getting caught in a heavy downpour and not forgetting to take a family picture before leaving.
.... taking time to lie on the grass and admire the beauty of bubbles and blue skies.
... spending my birthday with just three people who mean the world to me and feeling like it was the best birthday ever.
... doing things you used to do as a teen and realising time might change a lot of things yet some things will always remain the same.
... seeing how the girls care, protect and show their love for each other in their little ways.
.... getting your kids to take a jumping shot and doing it for a dozen times because you see them laughing so much.
... still being able to let my child sit on my shoulders before she gets too big and heavy.
... making it through a 1.5-hour ride on the MRT and venturing to the other side of Singapore.
... enjoying our girls day out and being thankful that we get to do this even when the hubby is not around.
... watching an animal show in the Omni-Theatre on the spur of the moment and being blown away by the majestic beauty. There was even a scene with
aurora borealis (or northern lights), something which eluded us when we stayed in Sweden and hopefully one day we can catch it in real life.
... having a simple meal with the kids and just making sure they eat well so we have energy to keep playing.
... seeing the two of them using their imagination and finding creative ways to solve their problems.
... having the afternoons all to ourselves and being able to find time to craft together, no matter how little time it is.
... listening to the big sister telling bedtime stories to the little one and hearing all their sweet giggles.
... enjoying a swim after waiting for the rain to clear and feeling glad that we didn't give up.
... being able to bring our parents on family outings and feeling thankful that they said "Yes" even though it was a spontaneous decision and we only asked them that morning if they would like to go to Pulau Ubin with us. Also, we managed to cycle to Chek Jawa together! Hopefully I can do a post on that soon!
.... finding every moment to make the most of life and laughing to our hearts' content.
Small things, big joy, lasting memories. These are the moments that are going to fill my heart as a a happy mum. What are you happy for this month?
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What are you HAPPY for this month?
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For happiness is all around us.
Love the pictures of the girls.. Sister really have the greatest fun being together with each other.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dom! Yeah they do scream at each other at times but I know they totally love each other's company too. =)
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