The other day I was in reflecting on one of our children. I was in Melbourne, and I was having a late breakfast with another Mum (thanks Lina from Mothers Love Letters). I love talking about my boys – actually sometimes you need to ask me to shut up because I could talk about them too much. What I was doing was reflecting on the fact that It Only Takes A Moment, and things can change.
It Only Takes A Moment
Three of five Boys – The are my reason why our life is now different!
Did you know that It Only Takes A Moment in time and everything can change – from a few seconds to even a minute and your life could change before you eyes. I have already written a Love Letter to my boys – because I realised that I have not always been the Mum that I had promised to be. When I was carrying my boys, the love I felt to them was strong. Yet life got in the way.
This is not another love letter (you can read that one here) but more of a tale about how life can change. With change a lot of things can and will occur along the way. Not all change is bad, not all change is good. But change is something that I have searched for in the last three years. It only takes a moment in time, and your whole can change, as we have changed ours for the better.
Why Does Change Only Take A Moment In Time?
Our Oldest Boy Last Year – 2010
Our five boys are all different. Yet they are from the same family. What I love about my boys is that each one has a different personality and each one completes our family. That is why I took a chance last June and brought a Motorhome. I knew that It Only Takes A Moment, and my boys were gone. Time was slipping away from us. Our oldest had his own life. Our second boy was become more and more remote – hiding in his bedroom. I wanted a change to happen.
Changing Our Life for The Better
Here is our “Why”
Sometimes I think that I have done the right thing for our family, and other times the doubt sets in and I wonder have I changed our life for the better? But then I think about what used to be and I soon realise that yes our life is better.
I now know that we will always travel in our Motor-home, or at least travel Australia/overseas! I now know that we will never own a house again. It’s that simple. Our life is different. Our way of living is different. Will I always be happy with this change? Not sure but I think our boys are growing stronger as a family, and they are happier then they used to be. I guess I need to ask them the question “Are you happy with our new life” and see what answers they do come up with!!
Would You Change Your Life?
This is our baby – here he was about 2 1/2
Here are some of the amazing events that have happened with our youngest boy….these events are what I shared with Lina and sure proves that It Only Takes A Moment In Time….
- A few years back I was at our boys primary school office. I was talking to the office lady, and I was watching our youngest boy – who at the time was about 18 months of age. Both the office lady and I were watching him. Then both of us took our eyes off him. One moment he was there. The next moment he was gone. It was that fast. It was that quick. It only takes a moment, and he was gone. I left the office in search for our baby.
I walked around the school, I pulled all of his brothers out of their class to look for him. I asked the four boys teachers if our baby had turned up, in search for his brothers. NO one had seen him. I looked in the playground – where he loves to go to. I looked in the tennis courts….no where.
Then I started to panic.
I even rang a good friend. She lived down the road, but she had not seen or heard him!!
It seemed like forever that he was gone. I think by then it had been 20 minutes. I was crying. I was screaming. All his brothers had spilt up and was searching the school grounds. Even teachers had joined in on the search.
Then the office lady went back into the office to get her handbag and car keys. Not sure why – but she decided to get in her car to drive down the road to look for him.
All I could think of was all of the dams around the school.
A few other teachers also had their keys, ready to drive in the other direction.
Yet the office lady insisted that she would go.
Her car was the last car in the car park. There were many other cars in the car park!! She walked towards her car.
I was wondering what time frame was needed before the police had to be called?
As soon as she opened her car door – there was more screaming.
There sat our baby. Sitting there without a care in the world.
Here is a younger photo of our boys – this was a few years ago in our house that we used to own!
Smiling. Smelly and Hot. He was still in a nappy and he had pooped himself. Not sure if that is because he was scared, or because he was too hot.
I took him from her arms, but I was shaking that much that they had to sit me down. Then we went back into the office, to cool him off with a face washer. It took me ages to stop shaking!! That was just one of his guardian angel moments. He has had heaps. All because it only takes a moment. It only took me a moment of not watching him and he was gone. I am so grateful to who ever is looking after him.
This is one of those moments which has lead to our change in lifestyle.
Another Moment In Time
Another time our baby was at the local swimming pool for our boys school swimming carnival. I had been watching him play in the baby pool, while at the same time I was trying to watch our other boys with their swimming races. It was a case of trying to be in two places at the one time!!
The day was coming to an end and it was time to head back home in the car.
I had taken Kyle out of the baby pool, and had placed him in his pram. I was searching for his change of clothes and his nappy. I thought he was safe in his pram. It only took a moment and he once again was gone. I have no idea why I looked into the middle size pool – why did I look there straight away? Why did I not look at the baby pool where he was before?
All I could see was a flash of blue on the bottom of the pool. I knew without a doubt that it was Kyle.
I raced across to the middle size pool. There was even parents in the pool next to him.
I was fully dressed.
All I did was grab him by the back of his blue swimmer top and pulled him out of the water as fast as I could. I didn’t even take care with how I was pulling him up!! He was spitting up water. Someone on the side of the pool took him out of my arms – by then I was no longer able to hold him. All of the Mums that were in the pool had not seen him. They thought I was jumping in because I was feeling too hot!!
Again his Guardian Angel stepped in for our family.
Those Moments Make Me Realise
Thank God That He Has The Best Guardian Angel!
Those moments in time make me realise how important my boys are to my life. They are here for a reason, and they have good guardian Angels looking out for each and every one of them- I am sure of it.
When I reflect back on those times, I realise why I wanted to change our lifestyle.
I wanted our boys to grow stronger together.
I wanted our boys to have a better life.
I wanted our boys to live a better life.
That is why it only takes a moment and our whole life can change for the better.
Today I got to watch my boys draw on the concrete with chalk. They had the best time.
Today I got to watch my boys having “Fun Wrestling games”….not sure that it was fun – but every time I stopped them they would start-up again.
Today I got to see my boys work out how to get over their differences and try to get along.
Today I got to cut my boy’s hair, and see how each one wanted a different style/different length.
Today I got to be with the most important people of my life (wished I had all of my boys here!!)
Do You Have A Moment In Time When You Knew That You Had To Change?
Cheers
Lisa
—————————————
This was part of a group writing project….to read other stories about “The Momemnt” please connect with the following blog post….
Living Outside of the Box – The Moments that Added Up
Mary Bohemian Mom –First Moment We Decided To Change Our
Worldschool Adventures – The Moment of Inspiration In Hoi An Vietnam
Livin On The Road – Whose Idea Was It?
Tripping Mom – The moment I decided to live abroad for one year, just me and my child
The Great Family Escape – Capturing The Moment
Family on Bikes – One moment in time: A lifetime of adventures
Family Trek: The moment we knew we were made for more
Raising Miro on the Road of Life – ‘The Moment’ is all there is
Carried on the Wind – Moment
Wow…frightening stories about losing/almost losing your boys. I think it’s great to pull your family into a stronger unit and hit the road together…kudos to you guys!
Hi Living Outside of the Box,
Thank you so much for your kind words – We are so lucky that our boys are a stronger unit, and are pulling together 🙂
Cheers
Lisa
We really have to make the most of the moments we have! So glad your boys are okay!
Rebeca recently posted..Moment
Hello Rebeca,
Thank you – those moments in life are the reasons why we have changed our lifestyle 🙂
Cheers
Lisa
It’s funny the whole “it only takes a moment” idea is generally associated with negatives – it only takes a moment of inattention to drive off the road, it only takes a moment to slip and fall in the bathtub and hit your head… But you are so right, it only takes a moment for the good things too.
Nancy from Family on Bikes recently posted..One moment in time: A lifetime of adventure
So very true – moments in time dont all have to be bad..or something that does happen because of a moment can be changed into a good thing! It only takes a moment, and for those very reasons we are changing our life in a very big way 🙂
Cheers
Lisa
Soooo true, Lisa!
It only takes a moment, and your life can change – FOREVER! Change happens in an instant.
I loved hearing your stories and how much Mother’s Love you have for them.
Remembering how quickly things can change – for the better or the worse as you say – helps to keep us grateful and present.
Thanks, Lisa!
Lina@MothersLoveLetters recently posted..A Celebration of Our Love Story
Hi Lina,
Thank you so much for sharing your gorgeous family and your amazing idea with your Mothers Love Letters. Putting the letters into a book will be something that your family will treasure forever.
It was so good to have breakfast with you the other day in Melbourne, and connect with another Mum. You are so inspiring.
Cheers
Lisa
Kids can be such a worry and it sure does only take moment for your life to change. I bet you had nightmares for months after those incidents. A couple of awful things happened to my babies when they were smaller as well and I still remember it vividly.
Jackie Stenhouse recently posted..Leapfrog Explorer Console
Hi Jackie,
It was scary – now its only a moment in time…but it is a moment that makes me appreciate life, and helps to make the decisions I make easier for moving forward. We are so lucky that our boys have good guardian angels, and that are boys are here as gifts for us to enjoy/share.
What are some of the moments with your babies that you can remember as being a moment?
Cheers
Lisa
Such a heart stopper Lisa – it really does only take a moment.
I remember when my daughter was a toddler, and my son was a newborn. We were walking near some cafes. Between a couple of cafes was an apartment block, and my daughter decided to walk up the footpath. The security door to the apartments must have not been shut properly, as she pushed the door open, and in just a moment, it shut behind her. It was a glass door, and I watched as her face turned from smiles to tears, as I frantically pressed all the buzzers hoping someone would answer. There was no response, and I ran frantically into the cafe next door, trying to explain through tears what had happened. The waitress pointed to a man sitting having a coffee and said that I was in luck, as he was the strata manager for the block. Couldn’t believe it, but there was certainly a guardian angel there that day :).
Hilary recently posted..How To Keep A Healthy Shopping List
Hi Hilary,
That is one amazing story – I am so glad that there was a man having coffee there that day…both your daughter and you would have been so upset!! At least you got to her quickly. Love those Guardian Angels.
Cheers
Lisa
You know what I love about this Lisa. Is that you never used the excuse it was too late. Many people would. Many would just write it off and say the kids are too grown up. But you did it anyway!
Remembering the moments and using them to push you into that motorhome – that is great!
Justin@GreatFamilyEscape recently posted..Capturing The Moment
Hello Justin,
Thank you for your kind words – we sure wanted to change our lifestyle for our boys, and to show them that anything is possible 😉
Cheers
Lisa