A Little Something For Me

Most wives and mothers purchases would almost always be for the household, for the kids or for the husband. To keep one’s sanity and to get a bite of life’s good taste, we find it rewarding to buy something to call our own once in a while. This may be a pair of shoes, a cool clothing, a nice lingerie. Or it may come in the form of service like a mani – pedi at the spa or a stylish haircut. In my case, I found one last December that I knew I just had to get for myself.

Anthon Berg Chocolates. I have always loved chocolates with real wine on the insides. I remember as a child growing up in Baguio City, I can only find this kind at D&S Fine Foods. Before the onset of globalization, only a handful of stores carried imported products. Today, even with the global market, Anthon Berg chocolates are not that accessible in the physical market. I incidentally stumbled upon this box at S&R. I saw the box tossed away in the canned goods aisle. Apparently, someone changed his mind about buying it. I took it quickly and hoped it fit into my budget. Thank God it did because I was just sheer happy when I saw this…

It was like a mini refrigerator filled with lovely chocolates. My sister in Sweden usually sends me boxes of such chocolates as she knows I’m a sucker for this.

And of course, it tasted heavenly especially that it was was the special dark edition. During moments of panic or craziness, I’d pick up a piece. I know it’s psychological but it does make me feel better.

There. That was a little something for me. And you know you really like it and you really deserve it when there’s no guilt feeling afterward. Teehee!

Incidentally, here’s a little write up for parents I made a year back for a local community about loving one’s self and allowing ourselves to indulge once in a while.

BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE, LOVE YOURSELF

“You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” – Buddha

Before anything else, love yourself. It is only through loving yourself, accepting yourself that you can go on to love others unconditionally.

And even as we become a parent, this still holds true.

When my child was born, my life changed. It was his needs before mine. It was his dreams before mine. It was all about keeping him safe, protected and nurtured. For a time, even my husband took the backseat.

After a while though, I found myself looking for the natural balance of life — to be productive and creative in contributing good things to the world. I found out gradually that being good in other things and exploring much out of life’s experiences help make me a good mother, a better person.

Loving yourself is essential to being a parent. The most basic manifestation of this fact, I realize is when we were pregnant with our children. We took care of ourselves delicately. We ate the right food, religiously took our vitamins, took milk that didn’t suit our taste and avoided the sweets that we loved! We knew that when we are healthy while pregnant, our child is healthy as well.

To an extent, we believe that keeping a happy disposition while pregnant makes a happy baby. So, even when our hearts were breaking, we found reasons to smile.

As our children grow up, we must sustain this self-love. This is not the narcissistic kind of love but the “greatest love of all,” as the song goes.

Even as we prepare school lunches, help with homework, run the household, we must keep a solid belief that for all the things we do, we must love ourselves as our children, family, friends and colleagues love us.

And how!? “To each her own,” I say, but here are a few things people do to love themselves.

Find a hobby. In finding a hobby, you find your passion. And hobbies make you more invigorated to life.

Feed your faith. Stronger faith makes you open up to life’s possibilities. It strengthens your convictions and seals your beliefs.

Take a break and indulge once in awhile. Whether it’s taking a power nap, going on a shopping spree or reading your favorite book, you deserve that kind of loving.

Forgive yourself. When we make mistakes, allow yourselves to forgive. Often times, we are the ones hardest on ourselves. Love forgives.

Take care of yourself. Cherish your body, our life’s temple.

When we take care of ourselves, we take care of the children. We take care of our family. When we love ourselves, we are able to love with all our heart.

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Posted by A Gracious Life in Loving, Wondering Tags: Anthon Berg chocolates, chocolates, chocolates with wine, Family, love, parenthood, parenting, self indulgences, self love, wahm