Here goes nothing!

Well its official, I’m back to my blogging ways.  Different site, different focus but the same little ole me.  A lot has changed since the last time I was writing.  I celebrated another birthday, I’m now closer to 40 than I am to 35.  I left my senior level management job in downtown Toronto to start working on my own.  Primarily I work on social media marketing, along with some website work.  It has been completely great to be my own boss and to make my own hours.  The biggest change in all of this is that I’m a soon to be Greek μαμά (aka mom).

To say that the last few months have been a whirlwind would be an understatement.  I haven’t been crazy hormonal, although my hubby is probably a better person to ask about that, but to have this little being growing inside you is surreal.  You worry about things that you normally wouldn’t, or at least I do. You have to make sure you’re always taking your vitamins, of which I wasn’t the best at remembering before.  You have to prepare, as best you can for the little bundle of joy that will soon be joining your family, and of course you’re doing all this while being the best Greek wife, daughter, friend, co-worker, and soon to be μαμά that you can be.  No pressure right?!??

To give you some perspective, I guess I should start with the Greekness.  I am 100% Greek-American that has been transplanted to Canada.  I also am married to a 100% Canadian-Greek.  Yes you read that correctly, I put the Greekness first and hubby puts it second.  More on that another time.  My parents immigrated to the United States in the 70s in search of a better life for themselves and their future family.  I was raised in an all Greek household.  This means we spoke Greek, we ate Greek, we did everything but watch Greek TV as this was the age before satellites.  Everyday I’d go to school like every other child but three days a week I’d go to Greek School.  This was in the afternoons after regular school.  I remember my mom picking me up from school, taking me home to change clothes (I went to a private school so I wore a uniform), giving me something to eat, and then driving me to Greek School.  Here I had the opportunity to interact with other Greek children from my church and make bonds that are still in place until this day.  I’d then go home to do my homework from regular school, which in the early days was a struggle.  I was the first grader who needed to go visit my 80 year old tenant for help with my spelling list on Thursdays as she was the only other person in the house who could help me.  My father always says, “I didn’t learn English so my children will learn Greek.”  It wasn’t until I was much older that I finally understood what that meant.   Look out for this story in a future blog. J  I was a member of GOYA, the Greek Orthodox Youth of America and went to their dances and basketball games.  I event was vice-president of the Hellenic Society at my college and lead the charge in the March 25th parade.

All of this would lead me to deciding I wanted to spend the rest of my life with a fellow Greek.  This was very important to me.  Not that I didn’t date non-Greeks but I knew that when push came to shove the values, traditions and things that were important to me, needed to be important to him as well.  I didn’t want to fight about sending the kid to Greek school, or what religion they would be raised in or even what languages they would study.  For me all of this was important and non-negotiable.   Now before the bashers come in and hate, I must say here that I have many friends who have married non-Greeks and are leading very happy lives.  I am just sharing with you what I was looking for.

All of this comes with some pressures—or at least perhaps a pressure that many Greek women I know manifest on themselves.  The pressures to be the best at whatever it is we’re doing.  The best wife, daughter, mother, employee, boss, friend, etc.  Through this blog I hope to share with you my journey through life and the challenges that this soon to be Greek μαμά faces.

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Roula

A little ditty about Jack and Diane...no really in all seriousness I'm a daughter, sister, wife and mother. I'm a Greek-American, who has transplanted in Canada. As a first time mom I'm sharing some things as I go along.

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