I don’t know whether to laugh or cry
I NEED TO BECAUSE
I WANT TO
During an outing to the beach recently, my nearly
three-year-old was assisting with the packing
up and I noticed him collecting a bucket full of
periwinkle shells. He clearly intended for the
collection to be brought home and I envisioned
them crushed to pieces, joining the carpeting of
crumbs and what all else in my car.
I said to him, “Why do you need to take so many
shells home?” And this is when he enlightened me
to some profound reasoning, “I need to because I
want to.” Fair enough I thought, I can’t really argue
with that kind of logic. In fact I would like to give
his thinking a try, here is a list of a few things that I
need.
1. I need to drive us home in companionable
silence without having to answer a barrage of
questions about the dinosaurs (which really just
reveal how surprisingly little I know about the
dinosaurs... other than some ate leaves, some ate
meat and then they all died and I’m not entirely sure
how). I need to just stare ahead and be lost in my
own thoughts as I drive, because I want to.
2. I need to go to Woolies and browse the winter
fashion options without someone tugging on my
arm or screaming at me because they are hungry.
I need to take with me a handbag with nothing in it
but my wallet, phone, car keys and maybe a bit of
makeup. I want to, I just want to do that.
3. I need to go to the loo on my own, I need to sit
there and do what I need to do and then just remain
in quiet solitude for a few minutes because I want to.
5. I need to spend time in the morning making
my hair look nice instead of fighting with someone
about whether they need to wear a jacket or not. I
need my hair to look nice because I want my hair to
look nice.
6. I need to cut sandwiches into any shape that I
choose without the fear of inciting a meltdown. I
want to just cut them however I want.
I could go on, but oh dear, do you know what I
realised? I want to have children and right now,
while they are so little, they really really need me
and they really really want me and this just happens
to be in direct conflict with my list of needs.
And so I find myself sitting on the loo chatting about
the dinosaurs to an audience of two more often than
I would like to, but I guess I want to. I want to look
back on these years one day and say, “We had a
lot of fun.”
By Anna Heydenrych
Life Mercantile Hospital
Making life better from the start
Specialist doctors and staff at Life Mercantile Hospital make your birthing
experience one to remember in a brand new, state-of-the-art maternity
unit. The Little Life Clinic will ensure that you are well informed and
empowered to take care of yourself and your precious new born after you
have returned home.
The neonatal intensive care unit is well equipped with hi-tech, quality medical equipment to
deal with any special needs your newborn may have.
The 26-bed paediatric unit, with expert caring nursing staff, will ensure that your child is
cared for at all times whilst in hospital.
The safety of your child is top priority. Therefore we have access control on our entrance and
exit doors in all units.
Maternity unit
NICU
Paediatric unit
041 404 0446
041 404 0457
041 404 0461
www.lifehealthcare.co.za
4. I need to sleep an entire eight hours because I
really want to.
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Cnr Kempston & Durban Roads, Korsten, 6020 / Tel: 041 404 0400 / Fax: 041 404 0551
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