It has been an interesting one week. Finally, I have reluctantly wrapped it around my brain that Kwezi’s school time is only about a few months from today and no matter what I do, I must ‘woman up’ and let her go and sip from the cup of knowledge.

I have been stressed out about choosing the right school. ‘Right’ is a broad word in my case, because there are several things involved. I needed a school that I can afford first of all. Yes, the economy has been bad. The idea of affordability flew out of the window when I got to the part where I need a school whose performance stands out. I also needed a school that is accessible. Unrealistic, right?

Two weeks later, I have accepted that unless I build my own school and mold it into everything that I want; I have to begrudgingly learn how to compromise.

The good news is that I have finally found a school. Is it affordable? Not really but we shall overcome that challenge. What remains is another major part of this process; paying the tuition.

I am a rollercoaster of emotions. I am excited, then worried, then anxious. Will she love it there? Will she be treated right? Will they notice that she is hungry? Will they tell that she is sleepy? I have a hundred and one questions in my head but I know that it has to be done.I can’t help but smile when I think about the fact that I am about to begin the real challenging part of parenting. It’s unbelievable how things change so fast. I cannot believe that I, who was someone’s responsibility the other day, is about to start paying school fees. What a journey!

Kwezi is currently dealing with a stuffed nose and a dry cough so there has not been a lot of activity on her side. She would rather spend the whole day in pajamas watching cartoons and eating porridge. While I have nothing specific to update you about her in particular, today’s piece was mostly about what I have learnt from the process of raising her to this point where she is now going to start her education.

We need to be more respectful and grateful to our parents. We need to pick up our phones or sit in those cars and visit often. How can I be stressed out about one child when my parents had to deal with a household of more than seven? How did they keep their sanity amidst choosing schools and paying school fees for all those children?

I say that as modern parents, we are spoilt. We whine a lot and we rarely take a minute to reflect on how easy we have it as compared to the parents’ decades before us. In the past week, I have learnt how to be more grateful.