On Parenting: Enjoying the bumpy ride

Thanks to Jenniffer Musisi, quite a number of roads have been patched up in Kampala but for many years our city council had me thoroughly convinced that our roads would always be bad. As one who stayed in Kisasi area for many years, I’m quite familiar with not only a bad potholed road but one which has so much dust that one can actually eat it.

Sometimes the journey of life appears like it is one long bumpy ride. Sometimes it’s just outright unfair and other times it feels like its one set of setbacks after another. Sometimes you feel like you have the most monstrous boss or that you have the most un understanding spouse. Sometimes the visit from the landlord seems to take such a short time and other times you might look at all your teenage children and wonder where you picked them from.

Sometimes, all we need is a good friend to share your burden with, or a girl friend to laugh your heart out with. Sometimes you need to listen to some loud music, to dance life’s worries away and sometimes you just need a place of peace and quiet to think and re think your life. Sometime you need a good book or a touching movie to take your mind off your challenges and sometimes you just need to read an article which reminds you that someone out there is having a much uglier day than yourself.

Life passes so fast and with little or no warning. I keep reminding myself to take the time and smell the coffee, I remind myself to take it easy with the children and that sometimes it is okay to have a disorganised house. So sometimes I take the time to take in my daughter’s smile because she has such a wide and genuine one. Other times, I choose to let my boy bully me into giving him a ride on my back because I know it won’t be long before he can’t fit there anymore.

When I don’t have a car, I will enjoy the taxi ride and I purpose I will not get upset with the conductor even when he cheats me of my coveted 200 shillings. I will make every effort to live one moment at a time, counting my blessings and learning from my mistakes. Life is so unpredictable, I have to decide that come what may…I will enjoy the ride; even a bumpy one.

jmabola@yahoo.com