June Challenge: Day 18: Tell a story from my childhood

Day 18, Tuesday: Tell a story from my childhood. I will try to dig deep and try to be descriptive about what I remember and how I felt.

When I was six years old we went on a family holiday to Weymouth. When I say we I mean myself, my parents and Tink, who was 2 1/2 at the time. We stayed in a guesthouse on the sea front and had some great times. We sat on the beach, we went to a model train place (Pecorama) in Beer, and generally enjoyed ourselves. We played mini golf one night at what felt to me like midnight but was probably just 6pm or something. We ate fish and chips, ice cream and laughed a lot. 

I have real memories of smiling a lot that holiday but one memory stands out more than most. We met a girl called Heidi in the guesthouse who was a little older than I was and I thought she was amazing, in that I want to be just like her because she is perfect kind of way. My family and I spent the day at a Sea Life Centre which was brilliant and whilst there Tink and I had our faces painted. I was so happy and thought I was the coolest girl in the world, especially when Heidi smiled at me on my return. 

When I had to leave for home I was gutted I wasn't going to see Heidi again, but then this wonderful thing happened. In a shop we found a little cuddly rabbit that lived in a little white plastic log. It was small, cute and had pink ears and a pink tail. The little white plastic log had the name "Heidi" printed on it, the rabbit was named after the girl I had so adored. 

To this day that little rabbit is my most prized possession. It has traveled the country and the world with me, it has jumped out of a plane with me and it has stayed in my sleeve though every interview, exam and stressful situation in my life. Heidi sleeps beside me each night and I cannot imagine my world without her, and every now and then I remember that my little rabbit is a reminder of the little girl I once knew and the first time I really looked up to someone. 

The best part of it all is that the week in Weymouth was one I recall as being so very happy, a time when my family seemed to have a perfect smiley time and I can look back with fondness both on that week and all my memories of when my little Heidi has helped me out of a hole.

June Challenge: Day 14: Ten things that make me really happy

Day 14, Friday: Ten things that make me really happy

This is an interesting one to ask today of all days, which is also why I didn't answer it yesterday when it was due. However as stressful as the past few days have been I do have reasons to smile, some of which I've listed here.

1. Making a difference at work
2. Watching a television programme I love
3. Taking time to sit back and enjoy life
4. Unexpected messages from someone I wanted to hear from
5. Weekends away with good friends
6. Spending family time with my mum and Tink
7. Snuggling up with Emma as she snuffles in her sleep
8. Bonkers fictional conversations at 3am with Toni
9. Writing scripts and fanfic, especially at midnight
10. Knowing that someone is there for you when you really need support

June Challenge: Day 9: A moment in my day

Day 9, Sunday: A moment in my day (this can be just a photo or both a photo and words)

I chose two photos. One of Cardiff Castle in the sunshine and one looking out over the beautiful blue water of Cardiff Bay. No words required really.

 Perfect.

Still Smiling

Two weeks ago I was in Glasgow learning to take time out of my busy schedule to just sit, think, chat and smile. I said then that I thought something in me had changed, in fact people around me said similar - I seemed less stressed out, more willing to just see what happened and happy to just be.

On Friday I did one of the hardest things I'll ever have to do in my entire life I'm certain. It wasn't easy, it wasn't smiley but that was counterbalanced completely by yesterday's epic events (more on those another time no doubt). Things are going to get very hard soon enough but that doesn't mean that I have to succumb to being sad all the time.

I guess it was taking time out that made me realise that I have been spending far too long focusing on one element of my life. That has helped me refocus, gather my thoughts and sort my head out. I now spend more time thinking about what I want to, doing what I enjoy and just giving myself the space to understand what is going on around me.

Glasgow was just meant to have been a short break but it came at precisely the right moment and I really do appear to be a different person because of it.

Which means a certain amazing Scottish friend of mine is owed a debt of gratitude!

Smile though your heart is breaking

Sometimes things seem hard and the road seems all uphill. Sometimes the sky seems dark and there are too many clouds.

Smile

I know that seems mad but you have to try. Yes it's okay to be sad sometimes, in fact it is healthy, but do try to smile.

Because when your heart is breaking, as hard as it is you should look beyond the cloudy sky and remember that even if you can't see them, there are still stars twinkling in the darkness.

The stars still smile back, even when you're in too dark a place to notice.

So keep smiling and remember you are not alone. Even in your blackest hour someone is still there holding out their hand and offering a smile.

You might just not be ready to see it yet.

People Should Smile More

I guess I hadn't realised that I stopped smiling until recently I had reason to start again.

It is so easy to get caught up in the day to day list of work related chores and the to do list of doom, and because that is full of things that I have to do as opposed to wanting to do them it is harder to complete them with a smile.

Don't get me wrong, my life has not been miserable recently and I've had a lot of giggles, especially over drinks after work, but however much I love my job permitting it to be the only dominating force in my life was a mistake.

It was only when I took the time out for a few days just to step away from the endless busy hectic nature of my daily life and spent some time chilling out and focusing on things that I love and want to be a part of that I realised how much I had missed smiling.

Yesterday I could have spent the bank holiday working, instead after an hour or two I switched off the laptop and wrote instead. For hours and hours. And I loved it.

So today as I travel to work I'm taking the time to think and I'm smiling. Possibly to the point other people might think me strange, but you know what: I don't mind. Because people should smile more, and take the time to appreciate the things in life that really matter.