Thank you

I’ll be the first to testify that the more we are grateful for the things we have in life; the more life provides us with things to be grateful for.

So why is gratitude the first thing we let slide the moment the shit hits the fan?

A good friend of mine recently said; “It’s easy to be grateful when all of your ducks are lined up… But if you can look for the good and stay grateful when life is a struggle, THAT’s when the real magic happens.” Wise words 🙏🏻

Today, see the beauty in all situations. Even the ones that are there to test you. Because ultimately, those are the experiences that urge you to grow, to evolve and to expand your horizons.

And that is why I’m choosing to see the beauty in my sadness today…

On this day 13 years ago heaven needed another angel, and decided you were the one Dad..

In your memory, I’d like to reflect on the gifts you blessed me with in hope that I can offer my baby the same unconditional love you bestowed upon me as a little girl.

💫 Bear hugs. I was never too old or too grumpy to receive one of your warm bear hugs. And even if I was, and tried to side step your cuddles – you’d stretch out your arm and reel me in with an anaconda type grip that said: “You’re receiving my love, grumpy or not, now take it!” …I will never deny my son a hug… (Even if he’s being a little sh*t 😝)

💫 Your weirdness. Your humour was unique, unapologetic and had us all in fits of belly laughter! I will teach my son to embrace his weirdness and to never apologise for who he is!

💫 Protection. Your nature was gentle and loving, but MY GOD if anyone ever interfered with our happiness you were FIERCELY protective and would shield us with your strength. I will teach my son to be his own pillar of strength should anyone ever threaten his sense of self.

💫 Humbleness. You faced many adversities during your brief time here, yet you remained humble throughout. Rarely did I hear you complaining or wishing for things to be different… I will teach my son that he is always enough and to count his blessings, even in times of adversity.

Thank you for everything that you taught me Dad 🙏🏻

Loving you always, forgetting you never 🙏🏻💙 xx

Soulful Sunday #49: Miracles Within

Welcome to my forty-ninth instalment of ‘Soulful Sundays’. A weekly share where I post a
roundup of soulful reflections, each including recipes, songs, quotes, blogs I have read and/or any other inspirational discoveries to sooth the soul.

For me, Sunday’s have become a day of quiet contemplation and simple pleasures. A time to reflect on the week gone by and to consider my hopes and dreams for the week ahead.

My hope is to extend some love outward and to share some simple pleasures with anyone who cares to receive them.

Soul Reflections

On this soulful Sunday I would like to share the news of our little miracle within. For the last 5 months I have been growing a little baby in my tummy! Eeeek! And what a journey it has been so far. Being pregnant with the miracle of life has caused me to become fertile with a myriad of magical possibilities.

“To be pregnant is to be vitally alive, thoroughly woman, and distressingly inhabited. Soul and spirit are stretched – along with body – making pregnancy a time of transition, growth, and profound beginnings.”

– Anne Christian Buchanan

I have journeyed through resistance, doubt and fear only to emerge on the other side feeling a profound sense of connection and a deep level of trust in the ‘unseen force behind all of life.’ To be part of life’s creation is to fully surrender to life’s dance; trusting that you will intuitively rise to the challenges and changes each new step presents. Pregnancy is not a time for control, but a time to let go, to trust and to flow with the rhythm of life.

Soul Strolls

Whilst I have been walking a lot during my pregnancy, most of our strolling has been to house inspections to house our growing family. A fortnight ago I shared with you a home we were sure was ours. Somehow, between talking with the landlord, submitting our application and the rental agency presenting applicants, our application was lost and we missed out. It’s still a mystery to this day what happened, as we never took the landlords number. And whilst it was a little disheartening at first, I was sure there must be a reason why things turned out the way they did. And of course, there was.

One of my wishes has been to have a little woodland themed nursery for our baby. But I knew that may not be possible with a rental. Often repainting requires clearance from landlords and not many wish for their neutral homes to be tampered with.

Well. Just last week we came across a rental that already had a woodland themed nursery! Talk about the Law of Attraction! After being declined for four rental’s, this was the one that finally pulled through. I now know that this is the home for us.

Our little nursery ❤

Soul Food

This week we treated ourselves to some Indian food. Yum! Not only was the food scrumptious and heart warming, but we also revealed whether we were having a boy or a girl over dinner.

I’d enlisted the help of one of my students to create some beaded love hearts; one in pink and one in blue.  Rather than have the lady reveal what we were expecting at the scan, we asked if she would secretly place the correct coloured heart into the box so we could reveal it to ourselves over dinner! Here’s the result:

What will it be?

Ooo the suspense!

Ta Daaaaaa!

Our Baby Boy ❤

 

Soul Music

Our baby is very responsive to music. Last weekend we saw Incubus live as well as Ed Sheeran. At both concerts baby was wriggling and kicking with content. I was too in the moment to capture any videos, but I’d like to share two of my favourite songs, one from Incubus, Wish You Were Here and Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud. The lyrics to both are beautifully timeless.

Soul Sisters

Today I’d love to share Kate’s poem, Incubation. Since i’m incubating a little baby right now, who I can’t wait to share with the world, Kate’s poem resonated with me deeply! I know you’ll enjoy this fun, insightful poem as much as I did!

Wishing each and every one of you a miracle Sunday.

Whether you are birthing new ideas, experiences and dreams or birthing new life – may you have full trust in your abilities and in the dance of life itself.

Love always,

Hayley xx

 

 

Eternal Bond

Forever Young you shall be. Forever in our hearts you shall remain. I wrote this song for you a few years ago and my good friends Samuel Jones, Ben Jones, and Christopher Roach breathed eternal life into it… And for that I am forever grateful.

Happy 60th birthday Dad xx

 

So short lived were my chocolate raisin days

The only thing I have now are the memories of your ways

No more bear hugs, no more Match Box cars today

I’m holding on tight cause this doesn’t feel right

Don’t let this slip away

 

Cause I will never forget you

Your with me in everything I do

My smiles a reflection of you

I live my life through you because it’s all I can do

Your my parachute

 

Your brief time here, it was rocky it was rough

Never said you were giving up, my gentle giant was too tough

No need for fast cars, brief cases or expensive suits

Your love was just enough and your love was all for us

Don’t let this slip away

 

Your descent upon this material world

It was oh so brief, I was left in disbelief

I had to stop being Daddy’s girl

Your courage was reborn deep in my heart

The realisation that from you I shall never part

I’m letting go because I know I must grow

But you’ll always remain forever young

 

Cause I will never forget you

Your with me in everything I do

My smiles a reflection of you

I live my life through you because it’s all I can do

Your my parachute

 

My king of hearts has flown

But I’m willing to take the thrown

To your legacy I live

And I’ll give as you’d give

 

My parachute. My strength. My breath, my parachute. The reason I’m living so free…

 

I Love You Because…

It’s been 12 years today since my bear hugs were taken away… There aren’t enough words in the dictionary to capture how greatly you are missed. But on this day I’d like to remind you of how much you are loved…

Dad, I love you because…

…you would walk us around on your feet as little girls.

…you would shine a spotlight on us as we danced around the living room.

…you never complained about your stroke or your epilepsy, even though the seizures frightened you.

…you made us smile and laugh daily with your unpredictable humour.

…you were the most selfless human being I’ve ever met and would spend your last £5 on chocolate raisins, Beano magazines and Matchbox cars for us.

…you lived with 3 feisty females and never lashed out physically or verbally once – you’d always walk away when angry.

…you gave the best bear hugs ever.

…you cared and worried about our safety.

…you surprised us with cups of teas and Garfield The Cat inspired butties in the mornings and always made them with a smile.

…you weren’t afraid to show your emotions.

Because of a million other reasons I never had the chance to say to you – but mostly, because you’re my Dad…

My love for you is infinitely endless. I love and miss you so so much. Thank you for being my guide.

Loving you always – forgetting you never 💙 xx

Thorny Kisses

Poetry, Day 3: Skin, Prose Poetry, Internal Rhyme

So painfully obvious from the pale shade of your skin was the recognition of your absence. And as you slept, your familiar form did lay motionless before me, unable to console me as it once did. Many tears I cried for the absence of goodbye, and so it was I wept. I longed to feel your warm embrace, but still the hue of your familiar face, grey and bruised from whence you did lay, was a cheerless reminder of your cold absence. So intense the urge to hold you, yet, even greater the desire to recall your last touch; the touch of your skin warm against mine. Rejecting the cold, I opted to hold a single rose taken from your resting place. A gentle kiss I did give it, and pressing the flower to each of your cheeks, I continued to weep. I repeated the gesture, tears rolling like raindrops to drench you with my love. Kissing the rose once more, I rested it upon your mouth, sealing your lips with a farewell kiss. And then to your eyes, eyes which were closed so tight that I might not see the absence of your smile. Holding on to the memory of your warm embrace, I pressed the rose upon your face. And there I remained, showering you with my warm thorny kisses.