la vie en rose

Happy Mother's Day! A few things to share:

I read this really great article on Slate.com called "A Mother & Daughter Find Life in Bangkok." Click on the title to head over and read it. It's in 3 parts, but definitely worth the time.

I've been thinking more about the upcoming birth (how could I forget?!) and what being a mother will mean. I really have no expectations, other than that I am determined to be happy. I've got a cold again, which totally sucks, and I am totally exhausted, but I keep thinking, "Act the way you want to feel."

Can it really be that simple?

Can a good pregnancy and good parenting really be boiled down to my own happiness? I read the following on a blog that I like (Cjane Enjoy It):

"I remember asking my Aunt Chriss about her philosophy on parenting teenagers. She told me that together with her husband they decided to simply make their home happy. Their theory was that in making their home enjoyable, their children would choose to be there over anywhere else. I’ve always loved that approach because it is simple. It guarantees nothing, and yet provides a common goal centered around hope and happiness."

I can't choose how easy or hard my labor will be. I can't choose the obstacles that we will all have to overcome in those first few months. I can't choose what my children's personalities will be like and I can't make their decisions for them. But I can choose how to react to what is laid in my path and I can choose to be happy.