Things That I Am Grateful For

Last Updated on: 7th October 2022, 11:30 am

My Children

I am grateful for my children and grandchildren. But I also have a daughter-in-law and she has become a bonus daughter to me. I try so hard not to be one of the mothers-in-law that interferes when you bring your kids up. And I hope I don’t come across like that. I have no filter sometimes and what I think might be advice, could come across as blunt and demanding. I hope she kinda likes me… if not she is doing a good impression of it.

My kids mean everything to me and I know I come across as possessive and over-protective of them. But it is only because I have so much love for them that I would die if anything happened to them. I am so grateful for my granddaughter. Sometimes I worry that she will always live in Daisy’s shadow because I still grieve for her. But I am so grateful for how much I absolutely bloody love her! She is my newest reviewer on the blog.

I Am Grateful For My Son Living In The Netherlands

My son took a job in The Netherlands and then met his wife. After they married, they decided to settle out there, rather than come home. Something that I am very grateful for because they have such a better life out there than they would in the UK. They have a house on a golf course and it is so quiet and rural out there. When I go and visit, I just love the peace and quiet.

It was so hard during lockdown when we couldn’t see them and it nearly broke me. But we had video call and I still see her grow up like that. Since Covid the prices of travel have skyrocketed so it is more difficult to get out there. But when we do go out there, we soak up every moment.

They all pay for private medical care in The Netherlands, so the medical care is so much better. Don’t get me wrong, I am so grateful for the NHS. But with parents having to wait 5 years for autism diagnosis and people’s life-saving operations being cancelled at the last minute because of budget cuts. It does make you wonder if we would be better off having the same system as The Netherlands. Tilly had an accident in The Netherlands once and we were in and out of the medical facility in a few minutes instead of waiting hours.

When Zozo was born with a limb difference, the medical care that both Amber and Zozo received was so much better than in the UK. Lastly, I feel they are better off in Holland because our government are a bunch of wankers and is dragging the UK down.

I Am Grateful For My Friends

My friendship circle is small and I like to keep them all in different sections of my life. I have my school friends on FB that we laugh with and check in with every often. And I have my PND friends that I met at one of the worst times of my life, and they were supportive through the bad times. I phoned one up at 2 am one morning because I thought I bought the wrong baby home from the baby group. It was a weird time for me.

I have my friends, who I am there for. The ones that you say hello to in person. They are the ones that you check in with if you don’t see them update FB, or they ask for advice and you give them your life experience. But then there are the best friends that you would commit a crime for. This friendship circle is small and tight. Nobody is getting in or out!

I have an awesome group of friends who we met at the school when the kids were little. So I have never been the mum at the school that stands and gossips about the other mums. I am not one of them that stares at the other mums and talks about them. In fact I actually frigging hate the school gates and I am grateful I don’t do them anymore.

But somehow, an awesome group of mums welcomed me into their friendship circle and even though I get drunk and act like a dickhead, they still welcome me on nights out. These friends are not like the school gate mums at all. These are awesome friends with who we can talk about our kids and moan about them because they are the same age. We can talk openly about women’s stuff like menopause because we are all the same age. These are the friends that I never thought I would make because I was that scared woman at the school gates. But they make me feel like I am not a failure at parenting or life in general. They are the friends that say let’s go on an adventure of camping or festivals. These are the friends that I hope our kids become lifelong friends with.

I am grateful for Nanny Jan And Grandad Camper

They stepped in and became grandparents to Tilly when my own mother decided she didn’t want the job. Nanny Jan is my aunt and treats Tilly the same as her own grandchildren and the kids all have a good relationship. She is the person who was there to help out when Tilly was little and even now I phone her for advice that only a mum can give. Of course, Nanny’s usually come with a grandad and as grandad likes camper vans, we call my uncle Grandad Camper.

I know that Nanny Jan and Grandad Camper would drop everything for Tilly if she needed them. That is the kind of grandparents a child should have. Sometimes it’s the family that you choose to fill a role, that makes the best family.

The Blogging Community

Blogging has opened up a whole new world for me that I never thought would happen. Blogging gives me a second income when I get my act together and work on it. But it has also given me the chance to provide my family with things that I couldn’t afford over the years. When Tilly was little we would get so many toys sent through the post for her to review. This made a difference to us because there was no way I could afford toys for her like this. It has made a difference between surviving and actually living. Each experience or product we receive is so gratefully received.

When my daughter was groomed online and disappeared from our life, it was the blogging community that I turned to because I needed to find any online help that I could. I didn’t understand what was happening and it happened so soon after the PND disappeared, that I didn’t know if it was real or if I was making it up in my head. The people that helped me through this time, even though we didn’t know each other will always have a special place in my heart.

I have met some truly amazing people through blogging. I get so excited to see them because it doesn’t happen very often. In fact, I am meeting a few of them today and I am super excited!

Finally, I Am Grateful That You Read This To The End

I am grateful that you have gotten to the bottom of this post, and that you haven’t clicked off. Because every time someone reads my post or shares it, helps me secure more work in the future. Thank you for taking the time to read it