Shah, on Love. Sling Diaries, Vol VII.

The Sling Diaries, Volume VII. A photo-documentary chronicling the art of baby wearing in the lives of families around the world. Over the course of six months, Sling Diarists will create their own Sling Diary though a series of diary entries interpreting a unique theme given to them each month.

Meet all of our Sling Diarists here.

ON LOVE

“Love is gentle, Love is kind” but not all the time right?! As women & mothers our love is so deeply rooted. In order to give love to our families we must first truly learn to love on ourselves. What I mean is, make time to do the things that feed our spirits, our bodies and our minds. When we neglect these areas we are not prioritizing self-care, which in return leaves us with a mediocre version of who we are. How can we serve our families that way?! Of course we can do it but are we really thriving?! No. We are not. When we don’t pour enough love into ourselves we become grumpy, impatient, and easily triggered by our children or spouses. Some days are just hard & there’s no escaping that. But if we make mindful habits that support more love we will give more love.

The love I have for my children stems purely from the greatness they bring out of me. They sometimes act as a mirror into my flaws, as well as my goodness. They keep me in a present yet reflective state of mind. Lately, I’m finding such joy in simple routines, like going to our neighborhood park. I love that we’ve been walking to the same park almost everyday for 7 years now! I’ve watched my husband teach our children to ride bikes, how to fly kites and drones that got stuck in the trees, they learned to push themselves on the swings, make new friends, and play as growing siblings together.

I recently read a book titled “Own Your Glow” by Latham Thomas, A soulful guide to luminous living and crowning the Queen within. In the book she quotes George Bernard Shaw saying “we don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing”. As adults there’s no better time to indulge in play than with our children. It’s an opportunity to slow down and live within the small moments that matter most.

Finding new ways to love myself and my family is what I focus on most. Time is fleeting and as my family grows through different developmental  stages, rough patches & growing pains, I want us all to simply feel loved. Loved when we’re exhausted and need a break, loved when we’re just not feeling our best and even loved when we’re getting on each others nerves.  As my family and I practice to stay rooted in love, we will continue to watch each other flourish.