Is anyone else fed up of feeling like they are constantly moaning about their life or being surrpunded by influences which seem to just be dragging them down? I know I am. For a while it has felt that every time I sit down to write something it turns into a moan or a rant of some description.
Today I am going to try my best not to be sidetracked or distracted and focus on things that I am grateful for.
I am not sure if it would count as a contribution to my self care or not but I am going to give it a go in the hope that it will give my morale a much needed boost.
For example, today I am grateful that it was a dry day which enabled us, as a family, to do some work on our allotment plot. Today we have managed to clear and prepare a section of our plot. I am hoping to plant a variety of fruit such as raspberries, blackberries and rhubarb.
We have also made a list of items that we are going to need to purchase to assist with our allotment adventure. Admittedly the boy was not in the best of moods once we returned home as he had not been able to play on the Playstation all afternoon, but I refuse to let his grumpiness detract from the achievement.
What else am I grateful for? I am grateful that spring is on the way, the evenings are getting lighter and the temperature seems to be moving in the right direction.
Another thing that I am pleased about is that, although we are embarking on another week of homeschooling, the teachers have uploaded all of the resources and instructions today so I have been able to print off bits this evening rather than having to rush tomorrow morning.
My husband was home this weekend and, as usual, tackled the weekly food shop for me today. I am not a fan of shopping under normal circumstances so there is another up.
I am limiting the amount of news I access at the moment but the little that I am seeing indicates that we are moving in the right direction with the vaccinations. All being well we may be able to see more people soon other than those who live in our house.
Personally I cannot wait to hear that I can see and spend time with my best friend and her child. It has been too long since we have been able to sit and drink wine, laughing and gossiping.
Part of this gratitude is due to the knowledge that the older members of my family have received their first doses of the vaccine so, hopefully, they are now safer than they have been previously. The finish line seems to be in sight.
This week I have been watching a lot of YouTube as the TV is generally in use by the children. It has been a much needed distraction and has enabled me to switch off, to a degree.
I am also grateful that Puppy seems to have regained some energy. There have been a few days this week where he has been more sprightly than he has been for a while. He has provided much entertainment this week and seems to have accepted that he cannot do all of the things that he used to in his younger days. I have even caught him seeming to embrace his limitations by purposefully diving in to a big bush in our garden and rolling down the bank.
I am looking forward to restarting my year. All of the things that have been put on hold will be able to resume soon. Maybe not the way it was originally planned, but nevertheless, they can be adapted and hopefully tomorrow we will have a better idea of the way forward.
The past few months have been the most challenging that I have encountered in my life. The isolation that we have all faced has brought with it some big lows. When it hasn’t been a low point it has been an even keel but there have not been any particularly “happy” moments and that is ok. I am sure that happier times are on their way.
This week I am looking forward to this course that I have signed up for on Thursday with The Happy Mind although I am concerned that it is aimed at helping people with younger children than mine which I had not realised when I signed up for it. Having said that though I am sure there will be some elements that can be applied regardless of age.
I have a home, I have a family, I have friends, my friends and family members are safe and, most importantly, I am alive. I cannot ask nor do I want any more than that. In addition, I have plenty of happy and embarrassing memories (like the one pictured accompanying this post) to keep myself entertained until we can socialise normally again.
One last thing which I forgot to say. This past week I considered quitting. I was thinking about my blog and whether it was actually helping anyone else. I realised that it helps me massively to write here as and when I can. I also realised that there are people out there who do read my posts and who follow my website as well as following on Facebook and Instagram.
So thank you to all who take the time out of their day to read my ramblings and I hope that at times they make you laugh and, if needs be, provide you with some comfort that you are not alone.
Mumma Bear Roars 