Neonates. What an all-encompassing, all-consuming, emotionally exhausting experience. I’m finding it hard to find the words to say to describe the 19 days Awena spent in the neonatal unit. I think I have to start by thanking the amazing staff who made the whole experience so much more manageable. Without their reassurance, confidence and general chats I am convinced […]
A couple of weeks ago we had a zoom catch up with some lovely folk and heard about all the things those that don’t have kids are planning to learn/master during this weird time of extra time. There were some fun and creative ideas, but none I felt I could possibly achieve with a young […]
To encourage you all, this week has been significantly better. Having taken my own advice last week we have gotten off to a much better start. I’m in no fairy-tale way thinking that this is it now, we’re sorted, but that with different expectations we are more prepared for the long game. Today, I thought […]
I know I’m a bit late in the month to be thinking about love, but I was struck by a somewhat saddening thought yesterday regarding the question of love. You’ve heard me talk about love languages before and it’s something I have tried to reinstall in our family to get us thinking about how we […]
Happy, sad, angry, scared, disgusted, excited, surprised, jealous, amused, bored, frustrated, embarrassed, shy, joyful, puzzled, relieved…the list goes on. Emotions are everywhere and we can choose to ignore them or embrace them. As a therapist, one of my most frequent wonderings with a client is how something makes them feel. So often, they are unable, […]
It can be very challenging/frustrating when you just want to get something done so you give your bundle of joy to someone else for two minutes and they howl. Yet, as soon as you take them back in your arms they stop. Why can’t they just be happy with someone else for a minute? You’re […]
Earlier this year I heard someone answer the question “what would you do differently in life” as follows: “ I’d fill it with less stuff”. That really got me thinking. What is “stuff”? Is it meaningful or just stuff? The answer prompted me to take a rain check on all the stuff in my life […]
Sunday afternoon blues…how many of us get that weird sinking feeling as the weekend draws to a close and the impending week looms around the corner? I, generally, love my job, but I still, most definitely, get Sunday blues. I remember Sunday blues on maternity leave too. Monday was always a bit of a nothing […]
“I think he just wanted to be noticed” – Billy Bixbee from There’s no such thing as a dragon Why is it that as humans we all crave so much attention? Why do we want to be noticed? Yet, for some of us, when we are noticed, we shrink away or wish the floor would […]
Our bodies are the texts that carry the memories and therefore remembering is no less than reincarnation – Katie Cannon (p. 184) Stress. A word we hear far too much? We are born with a predisposition for stress. A little stress is actually a good thing; we need some! In every moment of our lives […]