Dear BAMBI Members,
Welcome to our February edition, the edition of love. On 14 February, we remind ourselves to say ‘I love you’ to our family, to our partners, husbands, wives, children, mothers, fathers, etc. Say ‘I love you’ and mean it, every day, every time.
On 14 February 2007 we conceived Lilly. That year, the movie in the theatres that day was “Music and Lyrics” – have you seen it? Very cute. Since that year, whenever I hear the movie soundtrack, I receive the news that a friend or family member is pregnant. It has just been like that since then. So that’s a bit of my personal story, about love and February. There is another place that has been sharing love for 30 years now. That place is BAMBI.
The other day, I had all the issues of BAMBI News since 2000 out in my kitchen. I was making chili and I started to go through them as I was looking for something else. It was easy to almost forget my chili (and risk an unhappy husband at dinner) and it was also easy to forget what I was looking for in the first place.
What I found on those pages was LOVE, just love of the BAMBI members for BAMBI and of BAMBI for its members. Why? These are our stories in the magazines. I was impressed to see that although I do not know all our members, I know enough to see the stories of all of us in the
magazine.
I saw the first Bumps&Babies meeting for Kate Besleme (former Bumps coordinator); I saw Jo Brough (Events Coordinator) with her bump at those meetings. I saw Lot Romero’s (Bangna playgroup leader) announcement of her second baby boy; I saw many pages welcoming New Members and I saw my friends, people whom I met briefly or I got to meet again and again and again. I saw babies who are toddlers now. I read the Chairwoman’s letters, Mel’s letters, and thank you letters from members. I saw the Website change address and styles; the magazine became more colorful and artistic. Our Events team became more active and full of surprises. I saw Charities become more organized and involved in the community. I saw playgroups open and close, people coming and going, bumps becoming newborns and then toddlers. I read birth stories, breastfeeding stories and everything about parenting, from meltdowns to bribing toddlers with lollipops, and how to get more sleep. And that was just in the last 12 years; I imagine there is a lot more to read and more chili to make…or burn.
My love for BAMBI will always be there. I don’t think it is possible to volunteer for something if you don’t feel love, admiration and respect. I love you BAMBI for your support, I admire you BAMBI for all that you have done and do for community, and I respect you BAMBI for all that you
do without asking for anything in return.
Next month we are celebrating 30 years of BAMBI. 30 years supporting motherhood. Come to say ‘I love you’ and also see how many ways BAMBI says ‘I love you’ back for 2012 and for another 30 years.
Be well.
Eleni
P.S. In order not to burn another dinner, I moved all the magazines from the kitchen to the bedroom, and now I can read a good story before I go to sleep.