By luck of birth

I have always been aware of how fortunate I am, how lucky I was to be born into the family I was, in the country I was, to have the education I have and have had the opportunities in my life. I have grown up in a country where I never feared for my safety, I could ride my bike around as a child, spend time with my friends and go were I wanted when I wanted.

I have had a couple of holidays over the last few months which have reminded me of this in huge amounts. In October, I had an eye opening few days in Northern Ireland with my parents. And more recently, two weeks in Kenya.

Life

It is amazing how ‘life gets in the way’ of us doing what makes us feel good, what makes us relax and be a better person. Life admin takes up so much of our spare time that things that we want to achieve just don’t end up happening. Or we revert to the same old routine that we don’t discover something new. Add winter into that equation and things fall behind.

Grandad

On Monday 3rd July we say goodbye to the larger than life man who I had the honour of calling Grandad. He, alongside with Grandma, have grown the most incredible family who I am so proud of. He taught us how to love unconditionally, to help others, how to be patient, and to see the wonder and adventure in everything.

David Allen Anderson came from Takapuna in Auckland. His family were well known in the area as they were the milkmen. He was a keen sailor and had a boat which he owned with his best friend and future brother-in-law, George. He was fit, strong and handsome.

Tracking down my inspiration

For many years, at least 7 or 8, my mother and I have been trying to track down a teacher that I had in primary school who I found so inspiring.

The Final Countdown

Today was the first day of the last half term of the school year for me. Seven more weeks of my class, my kids, who I have gotten to know so well over the last 10 months. Yes, there are times when they frustrate me, annoy me, and make me question my ability to be a sane and rational human, but they are amazing little people growing up and maturing in ways that make me so proud of them. They don’t always get it right, how could they, they are only 10! However, I am so privileged to see the little moments where they shine each day, where I see their personalities develop, where I get a glimpse of the person they are becoming.

By The River

In my very first post, I mentioned that I have been dabbling in writing a variety of things for a while now, one of those being poetry. There is a part of London that I love walking through and will often set off on that walk if I need a break, or some thinking time, or to just escape the business of the world for a while and just appreciate life.

The following poem is one of the first things I had written as an adult, purely for my own pleasure, and I often still reflect on the same things when I am walking along the particular section where I stopped and wrote it.

This was written during a walk along the River Thames on 2nd March 2014.