1. Be Thankful.. for every single second, every breath, every hug, every kiss, every tear and every smile! Nobody can know what is around the corner so live life to the full and enjoy every second, the downs as well as the ups!
2. Complain Less.. no matter how bad life gets, it could always be worse. I definitely learnt to think more before I complained. Despite going through the hardest time of our lives, we met families that had children whom had never been outside the hospital walls their entire lives. Plus there is those that don't make it through, those that loose multiple children etc.
3. Accept Help.. I will admit, I never ask for help and am rubbish at accepting it when I need it. I don't know whether it's pride or just that I feel the need to be superwoman, but you know what, sometimes we all need a little help. It doesn't make us weak or useless, it just shows that we are struggling for the moment..
4. Forgive.. the misplaced comments, wrong spoken words, misunderstandings and minor indiscretions.. life is too short to be upset and baring grudges when you are already in emotional turmoil.
5. Let It Go.. no not the song! You cannot control everything and maintain strong for your children when you have too much going on. So who cares if the house isn't hoovered or the kitchen hasn't been mopped for two days? What matters most is being there for your children, whether that be at a hospital bedside or making sure you can attend school events and keep on top of their homework. As long as they are clean and fed and happy that is all that matters right now..
6. Relax.. sleep when they are asleep, if that means going to bed at 8pm so be it! Getting enough rest to focus on your children, especially if driving long distances to and from school and hospitals, is VERY important. The last thing you need right now is to have an accident or not be alert if your children need you in an emergency.
7. Expect The Unexpected.. just when you think everything is under control life will undoubtedly throw you a curve ball!
8. Capture The Memories.. and include yourself in them! Don't always be hiding behind the camera, make sure you're in front of it with your children too. This is a difficult one for me as I hate being in photographs, but should anything bad happen you WILL find yourself looking back and wishing you had more photographs of you together, as I certainly have at points in this journey.
9. Put The Phone Away.. and spend more time playing and engaging with your children or even just snuggling. Yes there will be times they are sleeping or playing happily on their own and you need ten minutes to yourself to switch off.. just don't make them wait for your attention because your phone call or text is more important, they might stop wanting your attention after a while!
10. Rules Are Made To Be Broken.. and I don't mean all of them but certainly some can be ignored during tough times. So they want to stay up until 9pm, does it matter if they aren't up early or at school the next day? So they want crisps for breakfast, well they didn't eat for 12 hours the day before due to procedures so why not! They want to wear unmatched socks, who cares!! There are more important things in life so pick your battles and save a lot more heartache in an already difficult time..
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