It’s been a funny old decade…

There’s a “thing” going around Twitter at the moment, as 2019 comes to an end, you’re meant to tweet what you have learned in the last decade..

I decided my learnings were too many to fit into 280 characters! So wrote this, in my head, on the beach.. Am hoping it transfers intact to paper..

My 2009-2019 has been a very long and at times very tough journey. Everyone I live with has had varying health issues. I won’t go into details, but at times I have felt like The Last Woman Standing! But, as in all things in life, I learned a lot about other people, about myself and my capabilities…

So, in the last decade I have learned….

• I am stronger than I ever thought possible. But sometimes even being strong won’t solve a difficult thing.
• That the saying “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” is bullshit. It might not kill you, but it will leave scars that you carry for life. And it really only reveals the strength we already have…
• That support systems – like Insurance, Welfare, Education, Health providers are no longer not even the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff; that they contribute so much to the stress of a situation that they acerbate the very circumstance that they are meant to help. That dealing with bureaucracy is soul destroying and at times pointless…. And I worry for those who don’t have the personal resources to just keep fighting until their issue is resolved.
• That there is a limit to what a person can handle. That none of us a Superhuman. That simply keeping on keeping on because there is no choice, is simply unsustainable. That eventually you will just run dry…
• That I am no wiser than I was a decade ago… .But maybe I know the limits of my wisdom now
• That in life you reap what you sow. If you put positive energy out into the Universe, it will come back in spades! But if you send out the negative, that saps your core. Being a generally positive person, I find that the Universe sends me so much good will!
• Conversely, sometimes you need to remove toxic relationships from your life. Being with and around people who drain, who use, who are just not good to be with; will take something very important away from you..
• That NOTHING is more important than telling those you love, that you love them! And not just words, actions too. Take the time to do and be and say, “I love you”. We assume they know… but sometimes they need to see and hear it.
• That there are new friends around the corner. Some arrive with a trumpet sound, and some just slide in unannounced. Some will stay for decades, and some just a brief moment in time. But they will all leave something with you…
• That you need to do things that scare you! Safe places are well, safe… but they limit your growth.. do something that challenges you! What’s that saying, “Feel the fear, but do it anyway”? Absolutely! We all become comfortable and you never grow in comfort.
• That words matter! I’ve known this since unkindness’s at school.. but as an adult I know it to be true. Be kind and generous with your words. Your words show the world who you really are. Use them with care…
• That we’re living in a world, none of us were prepared for. Technology has grown so much in the last decade that sometimes we flounder trying to use it beneficially. That we are more connected than we’ve ever been before, and we should be careful as to what we do with those connections. That news travels faster and further than ever before, and we need to be careful as to the truth and wisdom of that news. We are, by and large more affluent than any time before, but this affluence is affecting how we live, and the world itself.
• That its always ok to ask for help. No one important will think worse of you. Most people want to help those around them, and those that don’t? well, they probably need our love and care more than most.
• That you just keep learning! Learn something new every day. Share your wisdom with others. Learn from the experience of the old, and the enthusiasm of the young.
• That when you are at your lowest, so low, you wonder at your survival.. something or someone will come along. And the only way is up.
• That you should take that outstretched hand that passes you. One of you needs help. And you will find, that both of you benefit.
• That kindness is never wasted. It may not be accepted with grace – but the alternative – being unkind, will just damage your soul.
• that for me, food is my passion. Cooking, feeding, sharing, giving, writing and tasting… they all lift my soul. And I look forward to seeing where that part of my life is going to take me.

• and finally -That my greatest achievement will be raising 3 fabulous humans. Nothing I have done before them, or from here on in, will make as much difference to the world  than that!

I don’t know what the next decade holds for me. But I know I will meet it with as much wisdom as this one has given me.

Thanks for your time. People who read my blog, honour me with their generosity of time. And I hope you all find something to take away from it…

“Wisdom is not a product of schooling, but a lifelong attempt to acquire it”

– Albert Einstein