Life

I've just booked a train for a quick trip to Manchester......unfortunately not to see the Christmas markets , I received some heart breaking news this weekend, my Adopted Godfather passed away after a long battle with the C word!
I say adopted because 2 out of the 3 Godparents I was blessed with as a baby unfortunately , being older, died when I was fairly young, so I took it upon myself to adopt Aunty Sue and Uncle Roy as my Godparents..to help my awesome Godmummy aunty Jayne ( she needed all the help she could get having me !!)
Aunty Sue and Uncle Roy have been part of our family since I was 9 months old...a long time and I expect mum and dad would say are one of their best friends. The type of friends where you can go years without seeing each other but when you get together it's like you've never been apart ....I'm blessed to have friends like this too ...the joy of the job and having to move around a lot!

Today I had a funeral to take and for the second time Only I had to take a deep breathe as my own grief suddenly felt very real. Someone said today at our drop in group that I must have a hard skin to cope with so much suffering in my job, really I actually don't, I can be a sensitive little soul at times and every occasion you are faced with death the reality of it still hits home.

So as we get engrossed in Advent and Christmas preperations im mindful even more of those for whom this season will be very very difficult . Life is precious....taste the rainbows, dance in the rain, show those you love just how much and take every opportunity you can.

Family

I'm getting to that age where big celebrations are happening all around me ...a few weeks ago I had the real joy of heading to Bolton where I became a teenager experienced so much whilst growing up to celebrate my very great friend Claire's 40th birthday , I've learnt from Claire to try and embrace the big 4-0 so watch this space ...

This weekend we had the real privilege of heading back north to Manchester to celebrate my baby cousin becoming 30 ;it's not for a few weeks yet as she's a Christmas Eve babe but wanted to celebrate when we could all get together. 

I can't believe she's going to be 30 already! I rememebr the moment aunty Glen came to see us in Bolton to say she was having a baby I was soooo excited. Then came the wonderful yearly trips to Pontins and then  Butlins. We've lived close by and far apart but always stayed close and now have the joy of having her as Elijah s Godmummy. It was a real joy to go on Saturday with the family to stay with her and celebrate and hopeFully she will forgive her godson for waking her up so early ! Sleeps over rated anyway! One of the most exciting parts of the weekend was seeing the venue where Kym and Helen are going to get married next year so I get to gain another cousin and couldn't wish for a better one...one my boys adore just as much as their 2nd cuz.

Families are funny things but they are given to us for a reason, to help us to support us to guide and strengthen us. I know they are not always easy and things aren't always straight forward for many but I feel it's really important to try and embrace them , make time for them where we can .

As for me a big birthday is creeping ever so closely ideas of what to do very much welcome !!!