Restoration, a word I have only ever associated with items of furniture & special pieces. Following a life, with a history seeped in stories, that appears battered & to have lost its purpose, an item is seen as ….

More often than not these days, I spend weekends in different locations with old friends, new friends, mini team Rigden, on my own, indoors, outdoors, calm, chaotic …. Regardless, there is a common theme.

A weekend away with some friends of over 20 years. Each of them happily married, feeling whole, contented.

The simple truth of life, is that the need to bend & twist are essential. If our core doesn’t allow our bodies to do this, our minds always can.

Regardless how steady you feel, how many times you stumble, if the paces slows or gathers momentum. Simply …. keep going.

This delicate tea cup caught my eye yesterday … & I took a photo …. I do this regularly. I see something & it prompts me to think.

Loss always seems unfair, to all that are involved.

Those that get to experience the sitting that can’t be prepared for, shouldn’t be feared & lives with them, in them .. are forever changed.

Whilst comparing a cocktail to life, how the mixture of events thrown at us creates our own recipe base, how we seek further ingredients to combine & create our own personal cocktail, which likely finds itself in the shaken stage for longer than we would plan.

Let’s get clear on this thing we call grief ..It’s anything but clear.

We can hold on & let go simultaneously… letting go of what we imagined, holding onto our memories, allowing hope to hold us ❤

Maybe there’s just not enough time to get all of our ducks in a row. That’s assuming we know the names of those ducks !

Same space, different view, layers lying low.

The past few days I’ve found my mind filled with thoughts of just how much has happened in the space of two years.

There is no hope, or is there ?

Step by step, we accept that movement & motion are essential to us facing fears, progressing. The tiny step of taking action, simply moving our mind, to progress with the less than perfect timing, lack of preparation & understanding of so many things.

Most feelings can be summed up in a few short words. Grief, as complicated as it is, can also be summarised with just a few words, looks, gestures.

Feeling happy, smiling, letting go & shining.

To be nominated for an award from the charity that sparked my imagination, fills me with, nothing other than joy. A reminder that the little things bring much sunshine.

Imagine if …. Letting our imaginations run wild, dreaming, planning, creating. Basically this is very simply us - thinking.