spend more time with the people I love

I’m not marking this as done because I could see my friends a bit more and its an ongoing reminder with my family.

My uncle (my dad, lets face it)died a month ago and I’m so pleased with how I managed my last few months with him and the rest of the family. When the news come down to ‘you’ve 1-2months at best’, I took time out from work and went home for a month, helping to nurse him at home and spending as much time as possible laughing, hearing stories and making sure it was as happy a time as it was sad. I even managed to get over the lump in my throat and have those hard conversations you don’t know whether you would have the strength to have. As sad as I am that he’s gone, it comforts me to know that I made the most of that time with him and helped make his last few weeks easier.

I’m glad I’ve been making an effort with this. My uncle (who is more of a father to me than my own father has ever been – he brought me up after my mum died when i was young, he’s half of the ‘folks’ referred to previously) has just been diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. All my hopes and dreams for my family seem in doubt but I’m just going to keep being as normal as I can for as long as I can and find wee ways to let him know I love him even if I’m not the most demonstrative daughter in the world.

My family mean the world to me.I just wish I could be with my whole family right now including my boyfriend,

I’m at uni at the minute and spend my time running back and forth between my mums place and my boyfriends house. My mum’s not having a fantastic time of it at the minute and i want to be there for her more. I miss my friends from home and want to make more time for them.
I feel like i need to be split into 3!

that’s what seems to be happening to my time. Anybody’s got extra to give away? Cause I am a taker. Time is probably one of my most precious things today. Life is finite, we all know things end too soon, and people go before we know it. I really want to make sure that I can find the right balance when using that time – even though I am a real career oriented woman, I do not want to be one of those persons that wake up in 10 or 20 years, to look back at my life and realise that all I have is my work. The realy value is in people, in their personality & uniqueness, in their love. I want to take advantage of this as much as I can.

We had our 3yr old niece to stay at the weekend and aside from Mr Weeehector, she’s the person I probably love the most in the world.

I’m shattered after 48 hr hours of non stop swimming, hiding in the ‘secret cupboard’, playing house, hand and feet painting and 3 viewings of the Wizard of Oz.

Hopefully we’re giving her some happy childhood memories but I think its us that are getting the most out of it – the joy when she cuddles up to us on the sofa and tells us that she loves us, the crazy turns and lines that have us in stitches and the vicarious thrill we get when we see her wonderous at experiencing new things for the first time.

Here’s to lots more weekends doing simple, regular things that give us all such pleasure.

I have decided to mark this as done, because it has become natural for me to want to spend time with the people I love, regardless of the other things that are going on in my life or the sometimes (!) annoying things that people do. I have reevaluated who the people are in my life that actually do matter to me and I feel more connected to my family.

I went home last weekend and spent a couple of days with my folks. As one of four i never get any time with them by myself so it was really lovely. AND i got my washing and ironing done…for the first time in about 10 years! And my niece is coming to stay next weekend. She’s three and completely adorable so we’re planning a full on weekend of kiddie fun. Broody? Moi?

I’m so grateful that I get to see Sarah pretty much everyday. Even if its only for an hour or two, it really means a lot to me.

I have made a real effort and I am enjoying doing this. I have tried to visit family more often. I have also been more focused on really listening when people speak to me and being there for them. The real test will be when I go back to uni for another year – it is really hard to make time for other people.