Moms and a Caddy of Nail Polish

There she was sitting on the couch at the patio with one leg on the floor and the other one steadily placed on the couch. With a gentle sweep, she has completed the last coat of nail polish on her toenails.

"A new color, eh?" I thought to myself.

I sat down and said, "Mama, Papa's looking for you."

 Image courtesy of Stuart Miles, at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

My mom has been a stay-at-home mom for ages. She witnessed all her five kids grow, their milestones and (two) weddings, too. We are a family of heavy breakfast eaters so expect the queen of the house to be up at 4 or 5 in the morning to cook so that everything will be ready by the time the kids start to get out of their beds. For the rest of the day while the kids are out, she'd be seen cleaning the house, feeding the pets, and watching TV. In other days, she'd be at government offices processing papers not only for her family but also for our relatives. She knows her way in the bureaucratic system and has her own charisma with people to get things done before the government employees time-out for a merienda.

She's a very busy person.

But if at one time you're not able to find her, she'd be at the patio doing her usual manicure and pedicure.

While I was growing up, I never understood what was the big deal with her caddy of nail polish and manicure sets - not until I became a stay-at-home mom.


One afternoon, while applying floor wax I glanced upon my fingers and to my horror saw my fingernails who have seen better days. They were chipped, uneven, ridiculously dirty. I told myself I'll spend the afternoon with a manicure. And so I thought. Three days have passed and my fingers are still the horrible ones I've seen earlier.

Laundry to fold, bathroom to scrub, dishes on the sink, and the list goes on and so forth. By the time I can finally do my manicure, it was almost time for my son's night bath time. Urgh. My nail polish won't dry by that time! And so procrastination has won.

Although I can ask the Hubby to look over our son for a quick salon trip on a weekend, I dare not let other people touch my nails. Why? I've always been a victim of heavy-handed manicurists. They keep pushing my cuticles and the nipper almost always cut through my skin. I prefer doing it myself even if my nail polishing skills can be compared to a toddler learning how to grab a pen.


It occurred to me, manicure was my mom's me-time.  Some moms get a hair cut, others read books, blog, a massage, or they shop. My mom's is working on her nails.


With the endless things that moms do every day, we deserve our me-times. It keeps us sane. It rejuvenates us.

I know it is easier said than done specially for moms who don't have household help, or nannies, or relatives close to home to babysit for us. For now, I think cutting my time playing candy crush and browsing Facebook can give me a few minutes to clean my cuticles, at least.


Do you have a favorite me-time? Share them, please!








Comments

  1. Aw! Exactly like my Mama. Her me-time used to be polishing her nails too. No it's pocketbooks at night and tong its in the afternoon. Pero piso piso lang taya. Iiyak na yun pag natalo ng bente. :) I think I need a me-time too. Or it's probably blogging for me. :) My blog keeps me sane.

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    Replies
    1. Blogging is one of my me-time, too! Pero pag pressured ako magsulat mas naiistress ako instead na ma relax. LOL!

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