When I see the perfect people,perfect is no longer what I see…I see pressure,I see stress,I see strict regimes and unforgiving schedules.I see fear of failure.I see hunger.I see missed fun, empty plates and lives too full with punishing conformity.Most of all I see a very sad inner child who never imagined a life of
In twenty years time…People will not ask the children of 2020 if they caught up with their studies.They will not ask them what grades they made, despite the year off school.They will ask them with wonder ‘what was it like?’They will ask them ‘how did you cope?’‘How did you feel?’‘What do you remember of those
The teachers of 2020/21 have had it tough. And that’s putting it lightly.They trained in their career for many years but were never prepared for anything like this.They learned how to stimulate, nurture, gain and hold the attention of children within a classroom, a hard-won skill that takes time to perfect.Especially as every classroom contains
Rest In Peace Captain Tom You showed us, in the darkest of times, how one act of determination can unite an entire nation.You showed us, that it is never too late to leave your mark on this planet.You made us believe that anything was possible and that our spirit was unbreakable, even though it felt
I’m a big fan of women who snort when they laugh.Women who overshare awkward truths when the conversation stalls.I’m a big believer in singing loudly in the car whenever possibleand I love pulling alongside a fellow diva doing the same.I’m a big fan of women who love women,who spot toilet paper on the shoes and
Let the kids fidget,Let them day dream,Let them eat their favourite cereal in their bed.Let the kids mess around,Let them cry and vent.Let them get their too big emotions out of their little bodies, even if it looks like naughtiness.Let the little ones laugh,Let them chat to their friends online sometimes, when they should be
Don’t prioritise your looks my friend,they won’t last the journey.Your sense of humour though, will only get better.Your intuition will grow and expand like a majestic cloak of wisdom.Your ability to choose your battles, will be fine-tuned to perfection.Your capacity for stillness, for living in the moment, will blossom.And your desire to live each and
Tell the teenagersThat this will not go on forever, that very very soon, their life will begin again and it will begin in glorious technicolour. Tell the teenagersThat they are not being left behind, that all the other young people are waiting too, this stress is collective. Tell the teenagersThat night is darkest before dawn,
Today, I dared to let myself dream,That the world will one day open again.That the locks will loosen, the walls will fall,The doors will fly open and reunite us all. I dared to imagine the warmth of a cuddle,A group of my friends all locked in a huddle.I felt all the heartbeats, drumming with mine,I
I know it’s hard,to let people see the real you.Like showing your whole hand of cards at the start of a game,you won’t win.But life isn’t a card game. And this world needs your authentic self. There are too many copies out there, keeping things inside.Going through the motions.And at least one of those people
Dear Friend, I don’t need you at your best when you come to my home.I don’t care what you’re wearing or what car you drove.I don’t care if there is food on your shirt or if your hair has not been brushed.None of that matters to me.I care about you. I care about what’s in
We are living in abnormal times.Times of great change.Times of great loss.Times of chaos, unrest and struggle.I think we will look back on this year as a turning point for humanity.And we are caught right up amongst it, living, breathing, feeling every thing.Watching the story unfold, waiting with anxious hearts, for the next chapter.Trying to
What if we’re not just tired.What if it’s our souls that are exhausted?The kind of tired that sleep won’t remedy, that fresh air or good food won’t help.You see, when the world is in crisis (and it is), your soul becomes weary with the weight of collective grief.With the magnitude of problems which need to
2020, the year the world stopped…2020, the year the people stayed home.2020, the year the earth took back its control, for a short while.2020, the year the world realised we really are all in this together and the term, ‘its a small world’ became extremely and frighteningly true.2020, the year collective consciousness grew out of
You may not even know how changed you already are.You’re metamorphosing.We all are. You’ve come from a place of safety, of convenience, of privilege…You didn’t even know that, until now. You’re starting to realise, that everything you took for granted is a blessing. Your life was so sweet. We were all so very blessed.Blessed as
Don’t look too far up.Don’t look back.Just keep looking ahead.Climb that mountain one tiny little chunk at a time, my friend.And when you want to take a break and rest, sit yourself down and look around at the view.Because here’s the thing…The best view is not just at the top.If you look, you will see
Whilst the world has been turning upside down and everything we know is now unknown, have you met her yet? That girl inside of you who has been hidden for so long? Has she made it to the surface, through the cracks which appeared in the shake-up? If she has, did you let her in?She
If you’re struggling to find the will to carry on right now, stop with me for a moment and let’s look at how at how far you have come…You have adapted.You have given up pretty much everything you considered normal and constructed a whole new way of being. You have done some of this, if
1. Our old normal was not okay, we were quite simply, living too fast and too furiously. Stress and limited time had become badges of honour. 2. The earth desperately needed a break from our incessant over-consumption, we should never ever allow that to happen again. 3. During lock-down it has become clear, that what
Little one, You have no idea how brave you are right now.You woke up one day and your whole world had changed.All your favourite things were suddenly out of reach – your little kingdom was upside down and inside out. You have taken it all in your stride my beauty.You have cried, you have felt
My grandmother once gave me a tip:In difficult times, you move forward in small steps.Do what you have to do, but little by little.Don’t think about the future, or what may happen tomorrow.Wash the dishes.Remove the dust.Write a letter.Make a soup.You see?You are advancing step by step.Take a step and stop.Rest a little.Praise yourself.Take another
Dear World, About that boat. It’s true, we’re not all in the same boat. But we’re all in the same storm. Sure a bigger boat with better equipment may make this a far easier ride but the thing is… Nobody’s boat has been tested like this before. We really don’t know if the more expensive,
All This Time I Didn’t Realise I Was Free… I always felt so bound. So contained. By society, by the needs of others, by the unwritten rules of morality. I always felt so hemmed-in, by the boundaries placed upon me and even those I created myself. I really didn’t know I was free. I never
Or learn a new language. You don’t have to work out more than you ever have, or take the opportunity to learn to cook. You can do all of that, if you like… but you can also just rest. When do you ever get the opportunity to just rest? This life we have created is
Here’s the thing…. My kids were pretty spoiled. Don’t get me wrong, they were well brought up, well educated and well mannered, sure. But they were so very used to having everything they needed, whenever they needed it. A veritable charmed life. Of course nobody wants their children to suffer hardship, I deliberately built a
Dear Women…. Maybe you don’t know, just how amazing you are. Maybe you don’t see how you keep everyone going, even when you’re struggling yourself. Maybe you don’t realise how much cheer you bring others, regardless of your own level of happiness. Maybe you don’t see the smiles you spread, or the joy you bring.
I needed you today. I needed you so much it hurt to breathe. There’s nothing I wouldn’t give to hold you one more time and tell you how much you mean to me. I hope I told you this enough when you were here. I hope you can hear me now when I say it
If You’re Missing Normal… Ask yourself which part of your old ‘normal’ was really that wonderful. We were living too fast, my friends. I can see that now. Stress and exhaustion became badges of honour. Every day, we failed to connect with those around us because there was just ‘never enough time.’ The planet was
I Keep Thinking About That Day You know, the day when they finally announce this is over. The day when everything is allowed to open again and we all flood out into the streets, to hug and kiss those we have only waved at from afar, for so long. Grandparents will race to hold their
I want to be inspirational whilst this is going down, I want to be one of those people who jumps out of bed, makes a smoothie, does an exercise class online and then embraces the day regardless… But the truth is I’m exhausted with all of this. I feel like my body is filled with
I like to think there’s a party going on in heaven, right now. I like to think that the isolation and the fear, ends there. That there’s a wonderful reunion of soulmates, friendships and love’s lost, happening as we speak, right above us all. Whilst we grieve down here, for the many souls leaving us
If you stand really still for a moment, close your eyes and breathe deeply, you can almost feel the heartbeat of the world slowing down. If you can resist for a moment, the need to be fast and furious, the need to accomplish constantly, you can almost feel Mother Nature placing her hands on your
Yes, we may suddenly have lots of time on our hands, but here’s the thing… We are in a state of panic, whether we realise or acknowledge it, we are. We are grieving. Collectively. For the world. For humanity. For people we don’t even know but care every much about. We are confused. Everything we
I have seen so many posts flying around social media telling parents what to do with their kids during this time of isolation. Some have great ideas for play, craft and discipline. Others say just sing and read and dance and play with them…create a safe place they say, where your children can feel loved
Dear Key Workers, I can’t imagine the pressure you must be feeling right now, as the world retreats and you go forward to the fire. I can’t imagine the fear you must be facing as you place your children in school, knowing that they will be looked after but not knowing if they will be
That you can handle everything this week throws at you. And I think this week may throw a lot. But you got this. You have been through hard times before and you have come out smiling. Everything you need to survive the next few weeks, is not in the supermarket, it’s inside of you. Hope.
You are going to come across a lot of very worried people this week, following the announcement that Covid-19 is officially a Pandemic. Some will hide it with a smile, a laugh and a throwaway remark. Some will tell you all about their fears and some will not let it show at all. But the
Life may smooth away all of your rough edges, with its twists and turns and lessons to be learned.Life may force you to fashion a tough outer shell.Life may break you and reform you many many times until you don’t even recognise the shapes you see in the mirror anymore.And that’s okay, it really is.
I will be here… Holding doors open for strangers. Helping my elders carry their bags. Listening to a story when time is already too tight. Smiling at passers by. Making babies laugh in coffee shops. Throwing compliments out like confetti. Making people believe they are worthy. Letting cars cut in front of me. Sharing posts
To the woman who looks around and wonders, why everyone else is so much more capable. So much stronger. So much more ambitious, than her. To the woman who thinks everyone else is blazing a fiery path through this thing we call life, while she limps behind, barely getting through the days.… Somewhere, another woman
I see you. I see how much strength it takes to face the day. To turn on the news, the radio. To expose yourself to the cruelty of this world. I see you fighting off negativity every minute of every hour. You’re not weak my friend. You’re not. You’re actually undeniably brave, because you feel
I put myself out there as the ‘face’ behind the page. Mostly because I wanted it to succeed so badly and I believe a personal connection works best. I’m not the most confident of people, I come across very confidently ‘in real life’ but actually I am beyond sensitive and so very easily hurt (probably
And you are still here to tell the tale, I take my hat off to you my friend. You are a bloody warrior. To pull yourself out of a place so deep, so dark, that the only available option is to choose oblivion, is a feat the majority of us will never quite understand. You
It’s been a few days since you passed. And yet I am still thinking about you pretty much all the time, which is strange because I didn’t know you at all, in real life. Thoughts of you and how you felt in the final moments of your life have kept me awake the last few
This mantra is all over social media today. Sadly, it has taken the loss of a bright young life to spread this message so fast and so far but nonetheless, we mustn’t let her death be in vain… In a world where you can be anything, be kind. What does this mean? It means integrity.
Think again. We celebrate love on this day to honour a saint who risked his life to help couples in love be together. He paid the ultimate price but to him, love was worth it. Today we celebrate love. For him. And let me tell you something my single friends, there is NO love more
Asking how they slept Making a cup of tea just right Picking up a book they’d like to read Worrying, so much worrying Remembering something they said that made you laugh Listening to things that aren’t said out loud Telling the truth, no matter how hard Feeling stronger than you are because they believe in
Make peace with yours right now my friend, for it has toiled for many years just to keep you alive. It has grown, weathered virus and disease, healed countless wounds and fought many unseen battles to keep your soul intact for its journey through this life. Yes it has changed but it has been changing
Whether you have a mother or not, the need will always be there. Even if you never had one, even if you don’t have any experience of that maternal love, there is a hole inside of you that perhaps, you didn’t even know you had. A woman needs her mum, this much is true. So
Be kind. Right now, you could be driving beside someone, who is dealing with the worst news of their life. Be patient. Today, you could be waiting in line behind someone dealing with the end of a relationship, the loss of a love, the onset of a panic attack. Be aware. Be kind, over anything….this
The telephone rang. It was a call from his mother. He answered it and his mother told him, “Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday.” Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days. “Jack, did you hear me?” “Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard
1. It is going to knock you sideways, the love you feel for that child. I smothered you in love every day you were alive but you will still be rocked to your roots when it hits you from the other side. I would say ‘be prepared’, but nothing, nothing, will prepare you for that
Today I reached my breaking point… For a moment or two I thought, this is it, I am finally broken. For a minute or two, I felt I couldn’t handle the load I’ve been given anymore. It’s too heavy. Wouldn’t it be so wonderfully tempting just to set that load down on the ground and
You Can’t Skip Chapters In Your Own Story… That’s not how it works. You have to face each page, each twist, each turn. You have to live out each and every chapter from the start to the end. Some of those chapters wont be pretty either. You see, we each get our share of good
Hold Every Hug Just That Little Bit Longer… Listen to your loved ones just a little bit harder. Pay more attention to the small stuff, even when the to-do list is long. Life is short my friend. Don’t put off every invitation that scares you. Laugh out loudly and take the high ground whenever you
The World May Not like Bold Women… But I do. The world may not throw open its arms to those who carve their own path, tossing archaic beliefs to the wind, the wind they leave behind them as they forge bravely ahead. But I open my arms to those warrior sisters. Thank goodness for them
So you are aghast. You are disgusted at the disrespect, as a young married couple blaze a new trail for a new decade and simply refuse to accept the crappy hand you have dealt them. How very dare they stand up and say that actually, as advocates of good mental health and examples of an
Dear Meghan, For All Those Saying ‘You Knew What You Were Doing’… when you married a Royal. For all those saying, ‘this was her choice, she knew exactly what she was getting into.’ Remember that no one, not even you, knew exactly what you were doing and what you were getting into. Life has a
Dear Harry, I am a mum of 2 boys… My eldest is the same age as you were when your beautiful Mummy died. I still cannot watch the footage of what you were forced to endure that day, it knocks the breath out of my lungs even now to imagine the depth of your pain.
