Hope

Hopes and Fears

Often when we look to the future, we not only feel the excitement but also the fear. The mystery of what is to come can leave us anxious as to whether we’re capable to withstand what is about to be bestowed upon us.

Today I am 37 weeks pregnant with my third daughter and I am so excited about the prospect of the future that I can’t wipe the smile off my face. But just like any other person, I am scared and wondering to myself: “Will I cope?”; “How will this affect me?” And it’s life-changing experiences like this that are true testaments to our character and our ability to challenge ourselves.

Five years ago, I never would have guessed that I’d be the mother of two beautiful girls and loving every moment of it. I love knowing that I am shaping them into beautiful people; I love the proud feeling I get when I tell people that they’re mine. I never thought that something so physically draining could be so worthwhile as well.

And this shows how the future can be two-fold; scary but exciting at the same time. We invest so much of our hopes and fears into the future; but then looking at these experiences in retrospect, we often laugh at ourselves for feeling fear at all. But it’s important to recognise that without that fear, we wouldn’t be human.

It’s natural for everyone to be scared of what is to come and wonder if they are, indeed, capable. But just like I am fearing the birth of my third daughter; when a person fears a new job or someone fears moving out of their home town, the hopes and fears are just the same. There is hope that your life will change for the better, but fear that the journey there will be difficult.

The future is not something that we can predict, nor completely have within our control; but there is something that we can take hold of – our attitude towards what is to come.

Because we are always more capable than we think we are. When I gave birth to my first daughter, despite all my hopes and fears, I told myself that I COULD do it; that all those stereotypes about young mothers didn’t bother me. I continued to breastfeed even when my daughter had trouble feeding, I sat there for 50 minutes twelve times a day even when I was about ready to give up. I didn’t let people’s negativity get me down, I kept moving. Then when my second daughter was born, it was such a drastic change trying to balance two children. But now, two years later, I have not only settled into a good routine, but I am also expecting our third child.

In the end, it is all about believing in yourself. You can do ANYTHING in life if you just believe that you can. I try to look back on my life and think about all the things that I never thought I could do, but DID. And I tell myself that just like those experiences, I CAN achieve this one as well.

And I think that when something new arises in your life, where you are coupled with these hopes and fears; you should look back on your past experiences and remember how you overcame them. Because even though change is inevitable, it doesn’t have to be scary. It can be exhilarating, challenging and a breath of fresh air; but it can only be if you let it be.

I can’t say that when my daughter Amelia is born I won’t be scared, nor will I be perfectly calm and collected. But I can assure you, I’m going to the best mother that I can be and trust myself as much as I know how. Because despite all these hopes and fears, I have faith that this will be a change that I definitely do not live to regret.

Thuy Wood (formerly known as Thuy Yau) is a freelance writer, resume/cover letter writer and Youth Worker living in Perth, Australia. She loves to share her own personal experiences about overcoming adversity, as she believes that human beings are more capable than they realise. She writes to make a positive difference in the world and to inspire others to learn from themselves and their own experiences. Her writing has been discussed on radio, won writing contests, appeared on The Huffington Post UK and major Australian sites such as news.com.au, SMH, Kidspot and Essential Kids. She has just completed her first book – a memoir - and is on the search for a publisher.

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