Rewinding the reel
2017 has been a monumental year
for me. So many things happened which altered the way I approached life and put many of my preconceived notions into question. I left the life that I had built
in Karachi for almost 8 years to first move to Lahore where I had to wait for 7
months to deliver my baby before I could join my husband in Switzerland. I
became a mum of 2 instead of 1. I became a housewife (with a little bit of writing
and blogging happening on the side) from a teacher at IBA. I went through a
life threatening surgery which taught me if one is to ask for anything from
God, it’s health. Despite the pain and loss I went through, there is much to
thank God for and I realized that one can only appreciate life as much as I do
now when you come this close to losing it. Now when I look back, I say all is
well that ends well, Alhamdulillah. Here’s a recap of my year.
2017 started with me moving to my
parents’ house while the hubby joined his new role in
Schaffhausen. I survived
with loads of chocolates, getting high on Minha’s hugs and lots and lots of
Whatsapp video calls with the bearded man. When we fought, the whole world listened
but we pulled through.
And while doing that I realized I
have the bestest friends, family and in-laws in the world who made my time with
a growing tummy and without the husband, bearable.
While the tummy and I taught O
level Economics at LGS, we also designed a pretty and budget friendly maternity
wardrobe for ourselves. The blog was a super hit and I helped many mums-to-be
with designing as well as kaprha and
lace procurement issues.
I homeschooled Minha for an
entire term and on the side she took singing lessons and modeled for Master
Celeste and an Instagram shop called Whistle & Hum.
Days before my delivery the
husband made a comeback in my life and we ate out, chilled with Minha and spent
time together before making room for the 4th person to join the
family. Here’s us a day before the baby came.
Though I went in for my surgery
with manucired nails and a blow dry AND with a promise to be less of a cry baby
than I was when I gave birth to Minha, things turned out differently and I
ended up spending 8 days in the hospital. Lots was lost yet a lot gained
through this experience. Finally, I feel I am ready to look the incident in the
eye and share this picture with everyone.
Allah was kind and I made it home, with a lot of scars and stitches. But my beautiful baby girl made up for them. I feel I have
no words to thank Him for her and the fact that I am there for her, and Minha, to help them through life. This is us celebrating Eid together.
Once I was healthy enough to
travel, the kids and I flew to Switzerland to join the bearded man.
Adjusting to European life was
hard, made worse with a new born to care for. With a lot of cooking, bathroom
scrubbing, poop cleaning and sometimes crying going on in the background, we
got to see the tail end of the Swiss Summer. [Lots of muscles were also made while
carrying heavy groceries home via an uphill walk. I the swears.]
We got to see autumn in all it’s
glory…
And saw our first snow.
Practically a huge challenge with the stroller and the hilly walk, it was
indeed magical.
With bits of short day trips here
and there, the bearded man gifted himself with a few days in Paris for his
birthday, where we got to stay and spend time with 2 of our best and most
cherished friends.
I gave him his wife in a fresh,
new look. He paid for this present himself which is even more fun.
I also made my first paratha and proved the hypothesis “I
cannot make desi food” wrong.
I got to understand motherhood in
a totally different way and post my surgery scare, that’s the field I want to
make the most goals in.
All of December was insanely
beautiful with the Christmas lights and markets adding a dose of colour
and excitement, much needed in the cold, drab weather. We had a little
Christmas celebration at home too. Santa came and gave us presents. This Santa
is awesome I swear.
We celebrated our 9th
Anniversary atop Mount Titlis in the Swiss Alps with our amazing Parisian
friends where we froze but had so much fun.
From 2017 I have learnt that one day you
can find yourself on rocky roads and on another in gardens of sunshine. But
what defines how happy (or sad) you are is your attitude. Where you might find
yourselves challenged with the worst of issues, you are indeed blessed by Allah
in other ways as compensation. Always know that nobody’s life is perfect – the
woman with the perfect house may be in an abusive relationship; the one with
the perfect job in Europe may be struggling to have a child; the one with the
most supportive husband may have financial issues to deal with and the who
seems to have it all may be fighting depression or the illness of his child. Hence, count your blessings,
make the most of life, spend less time fretting and more with your children and
family. Kya pata, kal ho na ho? Have
a happy and blessed new year!
