My Mummy's Pennies: Sibling love…

I’m a busy mum, always rushing about with somewhere to be.

Sometimes it’s easy to overlook things while dashing from place to place, always another errand to run, something else to cross off the to-do list. I talk to my children, I play with them, we confide in each other and we have lots of fun together. However sometimes it can feel a little prescribed. It’s like I have certain time-slots for my family and I am squeezing everything possible into those, especially at the moment, during the school holidays, I’m still working full time but I have to  fit so much more in, days out together, keeping up with reading and school work for Ben, potty training with Elizabeth… 

I don’t feel that I observe them enough, I don’t just sit back and watch them together.

Until yesterday.

At the weekend I broke my toe ( just a little one, but it’s blooming painful!) and it slowed me down, it made me become aware of my surroundings as I hobbled slowly along.

Last night I was walking home with my children and instead of rushing them along, nagging them to ‘get a move on or there’d be no time to play before bed’, I let them lead while I followed, and I watched them together. Truly watched them, watched how kind and caring they were, how lovingly they looked at each other, How protective Ben was towards his little sister, teaching her how to ‘Stop, look and listen’ before crossing a road, (or a driveway!) and how much she looked up to him her big brave brother copying the way he walked and talked.

I watched them as they walked along, holding hands for the half an hour walk that we usually did in fifteen minutes and I was glad that I had hurt my toe, that I had been forced to slow down and experience this.

 I was so glad that they had each other and a little bit sad that I was an only child and would never know this incredible bond.