Good Morning!

I hope you have all had a wonderful Easter break, and for those of you who worked all… sorry! I guess some of us need to work or the whole country would just shut down… so thank you.

I have had a fabulous weekend, spending most of it at the beach with my lovely family and it was such wonderful weekend, making memories and thats what life is about, sharing the good times, helping support each other through the not so good times and laughing.

I sometimes think that we take this life far too seriously and we need to relax and laugh more. Yes, there is pressure on us from an early age. Pressure to do well, to exceed others expectations of us, to exceed own our expectations.

I think we also confuse money with being successful. It would be nice to have enough money so not to worry about our bills but it doesn’t necessarily make you successful or happy. There have been times in my life where I have had nothing and have shared my ‘nothing’ with my friends ‘nothing” and we have made happy, lasting memories.

I always thought it was important to be the best I can be, and I still believe this, to some degree, to be kind and considerate, empathic but not always the best at everything. We all have our own special skills. The things that we can do well and that make us happy, and happiness is far more important to me than being the best at everything.

I think, I have learnt that we just need to be the “best you” that we can be and to be happy. Happiness is the most important thing to me right now. I don’t know what lies ahead of me, what trial and tribulations I will have to overcome, so being happy is vital.

To be able to laugh when life gets tough is difficult but ultimately that is what we need to do. Let go of all of or stresses, let go of needing to be in control and being able to “go with the flow” helps me a lot. I used to be ruled by routines and would beat myself up if I didn’t achieve anything in the day however, now I realise that just getting up IS an achievement and everything else is a bonus.

My life has become so much more simple since being diagnosed with terminal cancer. My focus is now on my relationships with people and making the best with the time that I have left. promoting and spreading awareness about bladder cancer is so very important to me. I feel that this is my life purpose now.

Helping to support others who are going through a rough time is also high on my list of things to do in my life. Knowing how life changing being diagnosed with bladder cancer was and is. There is never a day that goes by when I am not reminded of everything we have been through/going through, as a family .

It has helped to strengthen my relationships with those who I hold dear to me. It has opened my eyes to what life is really all about. None of us are getting out of this life alive, we all have to face our own mortality at some point. It certainly isn’t what I expected to do so early in my life. My vision of being a grey haired old lady may not be true anymore but I am now living my life the way I want too.

Appreciate every small moment you have, every memory you make, On the way down to the beach, I had my sons’ girlfriend’s son, in my car, we sang “This is me”, all the way to West Wittering. Every time it finished, he put it back to the beginning, 900 million times honest! At one point I held back the happy tears knowing that this will be a memory for him, one day.

We are preparing for our first Grandchild with the next few weeks, I am so excited and filled with joy. How utterly exciting, this day is the day I never thought would happen in my lifetime, thankfully I get to be a Nana. I get to see my Son, happy and settled. What more could I want in life?

Im thankful that the Hubs is a joker and makes me laugh daily, Im thankful for my fur babies, even when they try and trip me up on the stairs (Fuggers is a nightmare, I swear he is out to kill me) Im thankful for my beautiful home, my wonderful, supportive friends and each and every day. even when I feel rubbish, its day I was never promised.

Perhaps we take too much for granted in life, I think we need to go back to basics, back to appreciating what we have. I am so thankful that I was born in the 70’s, that I have a washing machine, an oven, food on the table, that I don’t have to walk miles to get dirty water or that I can just “pop to the shops” for food.

I am thankful for music and songs that lifts my soul and makes my heart feel like its bursting with happiness. I am thankful for the birds song first thing in the morning, for the sunshine and the warmth it brings.

We do have so much to be thankful for, sometimes I think we really don’t appreciate what life gives us and how are so lucky. Take the time out to smell the roses, stop and look at the beautiful sky, remind yourself how lucky you are. we are all but small fishes in a huge pond.

Please take care of you all, remember life is for living, get the work/life balance right.

Love and hugs

Anita xx #stillkickingcancersbutt

P.S. I will be in the Sun on Sundays’ Fabulous magazine this week, eeeeeek how exciting