I’m pretty lucky, I had 27 years with 4 grandparents. By 28, I’ll still be lucky with 2.
July 14th, my anxiety was spiking as I was scheduled to sit my first law exam. Mum came home, tears in her eyes, I said “what’s wrong?”. She said “I don’t know if I should tell you”. “Just tell me”, I replied.
I would hope most of you are aware of the current same-sex marriage (SSM) postal vote; to be more specific, a plebiscite. A non-binding survey, used to gauge the position of the Australian electorate. The last national plebiscite was in 1977 to determine what our national song would be. The only other national plebiscites were in 1916, and 1917 regarding military service. Considering our current level of technology, the fact that this is neither mandatory, nor binding, as well as costing roughly $122 million, the question of why ‘bother with a plebiscite?’ is a reaction many have had.
Today is International Nurses Day. A day many of us wouldn’t know about.
I owe a lot to the nurses I’ve crossed paths with. In fact if any of us have ever had to experience the medical world and walk into a hospital either for ourselves, or a loved one, we owe more to the nurses we crossed paths with than we realise.
More gratitude, more appreciation, and more respect.
Graduating university; a significant achievement for some, an inevitability for others, and an impossibility for many.
I never imagined finishing university. Actually, that’s not entirely true.
Growing up, especially during high school, university was an inevitability for me. After all, that’s what you do, you go to high school, finish your exams, go to university and get a degree, and then get a job. That’s what we are taught to do, that’s the way the education system is structured. I never imaged any other path was realistic, let alone actually possible.
Today is international Women’s Day, and so to the women in my life...
Dear women,
If there’s anything I know it’s that you have had, and continue to have an immeasurable role in my life. I quite literally wouldn’t be here without you – in fact none of us would be.
Thank you for bringing me into this world, and more importantly for keeping me in it.
You have loved me when I was unlovable; you listened when no one else would.
Today is international Women’s Day, and so to the women in my life...
Dear women,
If there’s anything I know it’s that you have had, and continue to have an immeasurable role in my life. I quite literally wouldn’t be here without you – in fact none of us would be.
Thank you for bringing me into this world, and more importantly for keeping me in it.
You have loved me when I was unlovable; you listened when no one else would.
Valentine’s Day, the day of love, can actually sometimes suck (and not in a good way).
In my world, it seems that everyone is in a serious relationship these days, or getting engaged or married, or having babies. Their Saturday nights are now date nights, Sundays are couple adventure days. A night out ends at 10, occasionally midnight, let alone anything later. Social media is of their romantic getaways, or anniversaries. Time they once had is very much limited. Things have changed.
My hardest moments come around the same time each and every year. Ironically they fall during the happiest time of the year, the time we apparently all look forward to most. The time between pre-Christmas and post New Year’s Eve is meant to be one of celebration, happiness, sharing, drinking, eating, and joy.
It’s usually the time when friends, family, and loved ones come together to smile, laugh, reminisce, and switch off from their usual routines. Throw in a birthday to top it all off, and it should be the happiest time of the year.
So what happens when you aren’t happy during the happiest time of the year?
Most of us think we know how to communicate. After all, we spend a large amount of time talking to other people, sharing stories, asking questions. Yet wherever I go, the topic most commonly raised is communication.
How do I talk to the person I care about? What do I do when they don’t want to talk to me? How can I start the conversation? What advice can I give?
Communication is possibly the hardest skill to master for many of us. Fortunately, it’s a skill we can always develop.
I received a call this afternoon from a friend of mine. She read my post about the importance of listening, and followed the links that provided tips on how to have a conversation about someone you’re concerned with. After asking “are you okay?” she was met with an “I’m fine”. When it was pushed, it was met with aggression.
She asked me:
“What can I do? How can I get someone I care for to acknowledge something isn’t right?”
I’ve always loved animals, all creatures big and small. From as early as I can remember simply being around an animal made me feel at peace. As a kid, being at the zoo or on a farm was my version of heaven. Although I can understand why people shudder in fear around some animals, I’ve never really understood people who can’t stand any of them.
Despite this love of all things animal, there has been one animal that has had the greatest influence.
Dogs.
This is a personally signed copy.