Those Little Lessons in Life

Just as I was about to cut off the clothing label from my gym top today, I suddenly had a flashback to 2019.

Back then, I had bought an expensive red off-shoulder top from H&M for one of my daughters. As she was about to cut off the bunch of labels attached to it, I warned her to be extra careful not to accidentally snip the top itself. I had a bad feeling about it, and guess what? She actually cut a hole in her brand-new top!

And this wasn't the first time my clumsy girl had done something like that. That's precisely why I had warned her beforehand. I was absolutely livid! I had spent close to RM100 on that top, only for her to ruin it through sheer carelessness. I suppose when it's not your own hard-earned money, you don't quite feel the pinch! 😂

Another time, I asked her to help me carry a crate of eggs and specifically warned her not to drop it. Within three seconds of my warning, she dropped the entire crate onto the basement floor! And yes, it happened again on another occasion. This was by far my clumsiest child, and I practically had to teach her how to handle things with extra care, sometimes at the expense of my own wallet!

Then there's another daughter who is just as accident-prone. On numerous occasions, I had warned her to be careful when carrying a bowl of food or a cup filled with drinks, only for her to drop it within seconds of my warning.

But the most 'memorable' incident was when she took a big bottle of blackcurrant cordial out of the fridge and brought it to the dining table to pour herself a drink. Naturally, I reminded her to be careful not to drop it. And wouldn't you know it? She dropped the entire bottle under the dining table almost immediately after my warning!

The sticky, dark purple liquid splashed everywhere like an atomic bomb had gone off, and to make matters worse, it seeped underneath the marble table base and legs. The two of us spent more than an hour cleaning up that absolute disaster!

After all these costly and messy lessons, my girls eventually learned to be more careful when handling things. I suppose experience really is the best teacher, although my wallet and my patience had to pay the price! 😂

And now, as they navigate adulthood, relationships and the big, bad world out there, my warnings have taken on a different form. Instead of reminding them not to drop things, I find myself constantly warning them about red flags, making the wrong choices and getting themselves into situations that could hurt them and make them regret. Of course, I know that much of my advice has fallen on deaf ears. 

But what can a mother do? I can only keep reminding them, advising them and hoping that they will listen. Ultimately, some lessons in life can only be learned through experience, and sometimes, through heartache and pain.

Sometimes, they have to touch the fire themselves before they learn not to get burned. 🥺