Well hello there,
How are you doing? I’m not sure what I’m doing writing this but I shall try. I’m trying to give myself a break and see the good that is in my life at the moment. As a person who is a survivor of (or living with) cancer I feel It’s time I wrote stuff down.
Things I am grateful for
1 My family especially my daughter and my partner, also my sister and my little nephew and our two wonderful dogs.
2. My friends of whom there are so many dotted across the world and in Stroke City as I write. What a bleak outlook without you guys n gals. Especially to the ones who reach out to help when they can. You are so appreciated even if you think you are not.
3. The ability to laugh and to make others laugh. I know going down a dark route that when laughter dries up I’m in a bad place.
4. My darling Mum Isabella. 3rd Christmas without her and it’s still so darn tough but when in happier moments I’m grateful for her being my Mum and doing all she could to keep us on the right track and our heads above water. Mainly without too much help from her family and the auld boy alienated most of her friends too so they stayed away.
5. My activism has helped me out in so many ways. As the mother of a girl I know that our rights still stink in certain areas and mostly I am hopeful as to the effect it has on our country even though governments are trying to ban peaceful protest.
6. My music. It lifts me and it makes life bearable. I do have to stop doing a ‘Homer Simpson’ though, when I use it to distract me from what’s in front of me.
7. Hand in hand with that is my presenting a radio show on http://www.drive105.co.uk on Tuesday mornings from 10am to 1pm GMT I’m so grateful to all the great teachers I’ve had in there especially @Victor, Kevin and in the early days Dessie for helping me out. A wonderful gang indeed and I was proud to train with Rosie too She’s amazing.
8. My ability to see beauty most of the time when I’m not in the dark murky corridors of depression.
9. Comedy and comedians – personal friends and well know comedians. Bridget Christie, Cynthia Levin, Fern Brady, Leannne Toland, Julie McColgan, Sorcha Shanaghan, Wendy Blemings, Gemma Walker Farren, Constance Jordan, Frank Rafferty, Darren McCay. Special thanks to Rory McSwiggan for keeping comedy alive in Stroke City with The Chicken Box Comedy Club.
10. My skewed way of looking at things are sometimes the main way I get through. I make folks laugh and myself with my weird reasoning at times. I have my own ideas about where that comes to and that’s not in need of going into now.
11. Derry Well Woman, The Women’s Centre and of course the staff at the Altnagelvin and my own surgery in the City Centre. Everyone who has helped me along my journey.
12. Advice North West are amazing and Marie has been our champion for the last several years. To all the community hubs that are there to help good on you all.
I don’t know if this is the right thing to write as this is just starting but thank you dear reader and if you’d like to subscribe please do.
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