Each of us dreams of having that space which is totally our own, that meets our every need and is unique to our taste.
With that in mind, I added a few little decorative pillows to our living room. I imagined this little nook where anyone would feel cozy enough to unwind. Sites were browsed, a color pallet was chosen and accent pillows were bought to add that right splash of color to our living area. I even added ethnic touches, to make it match with the décor and get the number of pillows right as per the interior design sites. The number should ideally be odd, in case you were wondering.
But once you have children, your life is governed by your little ones and their whimsy. In retrospect while paying for those very pillows, imagining my little haven all neat and tidy I had clearly underestimated my 2 year old.
Within the first few moments of being placed they were scattered around. Every single day those pillows transform into play things. Some days they are mountains to jump off, other days a car zooming around. Some days they are a fire truck and other days a fort to be crawled into or a shopping counter off which we get cookies and pizzas. They are even rocks from another world or shields in a war against monsters. On rare days they are every thrown around in pillow fights, making full use of their given name ” Throw Pillows”.
Over time I have come to accept that they will never be where I expect them to be. Now I don’t see the threads coming off those their ends and the stains slowly but surely forming. What I do notice, with candid exasperation is the gleeful smile on my kiddo’s face as he flies into another dimension, naughtily stating, ” Look mama, I’m making mess of pillows !! ”
Most nights, as I pick up those pillows and all the toys off the floor putting everything back where it is supposedly meant to be, I wonder why I bother even.
Then again, those satisfying moments as I walk down the stairs into my neat living room to have my morning cup of coffee in a space just the way I like it, I feel like I have it all together. That the day can bring nothing that I cannot handle. I start the day anew.
And even though you will often hear me demanding him to stop and ranting about ” why are you doing that with the pillows ? Please put them back. ” I secretly cherish the fact that each ” Good morning Mama. ” will soon be followed by a special kind of happiness in a little boy’s heart as he ” messes ” up mama’s fancy pillows !!
I have made my own decorative pillows to match my living room decor. Some have been painstakingly embroidered,quilted,printed and embellished by me. I proudly display each of my unique cushions on my sofa. Unfortunately,nobody else at home cares a damn about these beauties. My son is still manageable. He doesnt throw them much.The husband’s the tough one.Whatever I say, he still sees my pillows as things to throw at my son and start a fight. My fancy cushions have become just that- Throw pillow strewn all over to make a messy living room. Guess I’ll have to give them up for now..till the husband grows up.