I’ve talked quite a bit recently about honesty – about learning to be more real – to be open about how I feel. Well – this week – I’m going to be totally honest here in my blog post – and just say it as it is – “I hate being sick!”

After a lovely couple of days visiting friends of ours at the weekend – I developed a bad stomach bug – and it’s stayed with me all week – it just doesn’t seem to want to leave!

I don’t do well at ‘being sick’! I get frustrated when I need to ‘stay put’ – when I can’t get on with things. I love to potter about – do all the jobs that need doing – walk – or work on my hobbies. My body doesn’t do well staying still in the same position for too long – so I need to move – but simply don’t have the energy to move far at the moment!

I write this – not to illicit sympathy – but in recognition that for all of us – there are ‘good days’ and ‘difficult days’ – that is the reality of life – but – as this quote goes – “Good days give happiness – bad days give experience – worst days give lessons – the best days give memories”

I have often observed – that the News that we hear and read – has more negative and bad content – which can cause us to feel anxious – or even afraid. On the other hand – Social Media seems to be quite the opposite – with people sharing only those great times – full of fun – laughter – and a life free from care – often in stark contrast to the reality of the lives lived by so many – day in – and day out.

I simply want to address the balance – align myself with those of you that may be finding life difficult just now – maybe just because – for you – life seems full of the mundane – each day following the other with painful monotony.

I love this quote that I found – “Life is amazing – and then it’s awful – and then it’s amazing again – and in between the amazing and the awful – it’s ordinary – and mundane – and routine. Breath in the amazing hold on through the awful – and relax and exhale during the ordinary. That’s just living heartbreakingly – soul-healing – amazing – awful – ordinary life. And – it’s breathtakingly beautiful”

And – that’s the truth of it – life – is – life – and all we can do is to embrace it – make the best of it – and be brave enough – to share it – ‘warts and all’ – as a Yorkshire saying goes. And always know – you are not alone – others are walking a similar path – but life – taken as a whole – is – ‘breathtakingly beautiful – – Blessings – Lois