21 Amazing Years of Amazing You. Happy Happy Birthday.

Beauty is a gateway, simply a doorway to enter the world of undiscovered galaxies & experiences. Now the proverbial 'key to the door' gateway!
21 years ago, weighing 6lb 10oz, a little, peaceful, beautiful & long bundle of cuteness entered our world. Our dearest daughter was born. 21 years of sharing, caring, learning & loving. Observing your awesome growth both physically & emotionally.
 Contemplating your every milestone, joys, trials & challenges.  Respectfully following your progress as you negotiate your dreams, treading the paths your Soul requires to bring you to your own unique place of belonging.

21 years entwined, full of love, laughter, tears, tribulations & celebrations.  Throughout all experiences you've enjoyed or endured, we sit along by your side - on the sidelines  - knowing you simply have to experience such pains & joys to learn how to manage your internal power. Its the only way & route towards maturing, having to take responsibility for your own feelings. Knowing its the only true way you will learn who you are & importantly who you are not.

All of the wishes, our prayers & thoughts wished for you as we held you in our arms for the very first time have been put to the test & challenged many times over the years. Always hoping, longing that safety, luck, happiness & vision would be your steadfast companions. That always you'd discover a sense of perspective no matter what life shared with you. Forever wanting you, to eventually discover, the very best outcome from all situations.

Welcoming you into the world, loving your ways, your smile, laughter & love. Trying to give you the best of what we had at any given moment. A sense of stability & balance hopefully emerged no matter what trials & transformations we all as a family shared.

21 years later, you've moved away from home. You're at University. You're also working to finance your studies. You're driving your own car. You're saving for your ISA's & a deposit for your next flat. You make delicious roast dinners & tasty cooked breakfasts, packed lunches for work. Arranging get togethers with your family &/or friends. You still have the wonderful curiosity, appreciation & respect of Nature's gifts; liking flowers, plants & trees, clouds, skies, beaches & sunshine. Discovering new likes & dislikes.  Basically our darling 'BB' you're out there doing your own thing.
Each little feather gained through every life experience eventually gave you wings to soar high & far.
I know you'll have bumpy landings darling, I know at times they'll be crash landings when you probably lose all of  those hard earned & well deserved feathers. More than anything I know no matter what kind of landing, you have the ability to pick yourself up, pop the feathers back in & off you'll go again. If there's constant, common threads we all have, its our ability towards adaption, survival, optimism & stamina.

How the world's people & the mechanics of living have changed in 21 years! All the things we once could've been concerned about now seem so futile to this generation.  Different dangers now lurk, found often in the most acceptable & well lit places. Hmmm we have yet to discover the full & true meaning of the modern day conveniences people rely upon & accept as the norm.

How upside down, backwards forwards progression truly is. I often sit & contemplate life, meaning, growth, lessons etc & as I observe life as it is now I truly have a whole load of different prayers & wishes for you in this century, more fitting than the last! My wishes & prayers;

1993 - welcome to the world! Hope you'll be happy here.

• When you wake up on a morning I hope its early enough that you can take a brief dawn walk before work or Uni. That you hear the skylarks singing their dawn chorus. Watch in awe as the sun rises & begins its daily quest. I hope you find a local woodland to walk through, to smell the most beautiful perfumes from the wild flowers as they open their petals & turn their faces up towards the sunshine. I hope you eat natural nuts & fruits for breakfast & avoid sugared, flavoured or chocolate coated manmade cereals. I hope you drink boiled water with a piece of ginger or lemon & avoid coffees which are served with a zillion different flavours & options. I hope you have your fingers, hands & arms free & your head held high eyes looking at the world around you. All senses attuned to the pulse of daily life & people surrounding you.  No distractions from an iPhone, iPad or iEarphones. 
• I hope you are happy with the way you look without make up & without the clothes made entirely to entice. I hope you're comfy & confident in your own skin. To keep your clothes on for going out & take them off for going to bed. When you are out & about I hope you drink fine wine, see great concerts & shows. Delicious country pub meals, places locally too when you can walk merrily home with a small or large group of good friends & not one of you to be found drunk, being sick in the gutters or any of you in some ego nonsensical alcohol fuelled brawl with some insignificant other ego fired up for all of the wrong reasons :) That you still enjoy card & board games, crosswords & quiz.
• Remember to always do what & as you say, remembering its how people make you feel which counts not what they promise (but don't usually deliver). Remember this too when you're speaking with people, always be kind, hopefully they'll feel just a little better for a moment because they met you.  Don't be influenced too much only by appearances, the best is yet to come if you trust 100% your instinct - no matter how things appear!! 
•  Appreciate the simple things, the kind gestures, the polite & gracious manners. Humility & kindness. Noting the blue & grey skies are really the same depending upon attitude towards them.   All have value & meaning if you make the time to discover both. Blame isn't such a good choice. Its all about taking responsibility for how you feel, for your own actions etc. Thus no matter what problems lie ahead, always a solution to be found in choices & attitudes.
• During your days I hope you speak to all friends when required, I hope you use full sentences & words & speak the beautiful way you can. I hope you skip the internet social hubs (always) & meet your friends face to face for lunch, bowling, cycling, climbing, walking, talking etc etc. I hope you wear your smile beautifully & easily. I hope you wear nothing  false . . . i.e.  the artificial eyelashes, false boobs, fake shaping, colouring or padding.  I hope you thrive & succeed in your chosen career & not monosyllabically grunting your way through the day in a job you hate. I hope you appreciate the working environment is a haven for you to excel in the best way you can give.  Just like life, its always better to forever give than to have expectations to constantly take. Life's always about maintaining balance . .  thus its always what you can bring to every single situation; never forget that & you will always have the most awesome potential to discover.
• On an evening, I hope you have your meals around a dining table full of nutritious food, great friends & good beverages. That there's the core lovely host of friends who not only like to wine & dine but those who help you wash & dry the dishes. Those who bring soup, will wash the floors, toilet & sinks for you when you're poorly.  That your doorbell rings,  friends land unexpectedly with chocolate & flowers bursting with sparkling conversation, laughter & plans or they know they're equally aways welcome, empty handed with a tissue to their eyes when you'll bring them coffee, pick them a flower & give them a hug.  I hope you never look at anthers  lifestyle photographs online & compare them to yours. I hope you don't even look unless asked to. Never online viewing thru a screen  but that you are forever exploring wondrous countries & places creating your own albums by being there & experiencing it for yourself.  I hope you never succumb to the daily lure of the social hubs like Facebook, Twitter etc etc knowing that you simply won't waste your time.  When you do write or interact online I hope its essence leaves goodness, sharing inspiration or kindness or planning when & where to meet a distant friend. Never that its simply to share yet another selfie. May you bring out the best qualities in each other & never be superficial, cruel or gossip. May the selfie remember to serve humanity not narcissism.
• May your future husband have manners of a King, the adventurous spirit of the Little Prince & the love, loyalty & faithfulness of the friendliest dog. May he look into your eyes & love you like no other, may he wipe a tear & make you laugh. May he help you in the kitchen & surprise you with his own culinary skills. May he hold you close when the world challenges your very core & equally may he wave you a cheery 'au bientot' when the world /work or friends need your kindness & talents. May he support your dreams even if they're not the same as his. May he always kiss you good morning & good night. Welcome you home each & every day. May you both remember & practice during the most difficult moments (& there will be them) its all about what you can both bring to the relationship - especially during those hardest moments -  its always about when you dig deep & ask what you can do to help or make things better. There are no ego's or pride to discover in true love.
• Oooh darling, now I am truly rambling in flow -  but if/when you discover you're pregnant with your first child, may you know the enormity of such abundant love - the infinite love which overwhelms & fills every cell, every thought & all actions. May you lie in the bath & sing to your pregnant tummy. May you & your husband talk to your growing bump & christen it with a silly name like Basil the womb baby. May you make all of your own cot bumpers, quilts & a perpetual Christmas advent calendar.  May you sketch & crayon ' Big & Little Nutbrown Hare' onto a huge poster then stick it onto the little ones wall  next to its cot :)
• When you feel the pains of layout, know your baby is simply trying to enter this world & its Natures way. When your beautiful baby is born, when you both hold her/him in your arms for the very first time, may you instantly fee l- know - the overwhelming love, the indescribable forever depth of love, pride, joy & contentment felt.  Then may you -  exhausted but full of awe - gaze all night & all day & all night again at its gorgeous little face watching its little chest rise & fall. Lying watching this baby, your baby, sleeping in the little hospital fish tank which is usually the first baby bed in a maternity hospital. May you feel an inner peace & joy never known before. May you adore feeding (breast is a choice - you took to the breast like a duck to water but some don't,  so have no expectations)  especially in the moonlight, when your baby first notices the moon & gets so excited she won't feed.  May you laugh & hug the baby a little closer even though its 3am,  may you feel the overwhelming joy & love & oneness sensed during some magical times.
• May you liquidise part of your own meals & never buy a processed bottle of factory made baby food.  May you walk everywhere, read many books with your baby, play many games & jigsaws, may you make cakes & dinners, may you explain the answer as best you can to every question asked and may you always read a bedtime story & have a pair of we lies to hand.  May you always let your baby find its own solutions to little problem.  May your child always know how to find its own way, especially when lost as thats such an achievement for all concerned. 
• May you attend every school play, assembly service, excursion, parents evening & more. May you encourage all dreams to be followed but maintaining to always have a true sense of right & wrong, possible & impossible. 
• When you begin becoming responsible, may you forever remember the pocket money rule - try to save half (or as much as you can) every month of all you earn. May you always have a raincoat for a rainy day & boots for the Winters.  May you always build a sensible secure base should you ever need to retreat home. Yes, always the 'just in case' reserves.  May you always know you always have within you,  all you ever need at every given moment (& that my darling is gut instinct & choice). May you always feel full of life's necessary qualifications, security & optimism to help those dreams come true. If you borrow something always give it back. Never ever steal anything which doesn't being to you - especially a person's dignity or dreams! 
• When you do all this & more, when you feel all of these experiences & more - you may be half way towards understanding all we wish for you & how much we have gained from having a daughter. How many sacrifices, how much we've given & give, how much we still, fingers crossed, trust & hope you will always find health, happiness & luck by your side.
•  How much we appreciate & love you. When you do discover this, whether we're alive or dead the best way to show or return such Mothers Love/parents love . .   is by being such authentic love yourself & sharing its grace. It will touch the lives of so many, even those yet to be born.
• Celebrating 21 amazing years of awesome you. Thank you darling for being part of our life, our daughter, friend & eternal joy. Happy 21st Birthday. Wishing you,  well,  you know all we wish for you & more xXx xXx xXx Good Luck Darling, the worlds changed but its all an illusion - don't succumb. Be pioneering & remain seeking quality not quantity. 
• Love Daddy & Mammy . . . . .  Thank you xXx   2014 
• We're so very proud of you, always xXx 

  

  My how you've grown, 21 years old
  & what a beautiful young lady  :) 

Has it really been a year ?

So many associations to time,  known as a great healer, considered an elusive character we're always chasing, yet if it's well spent its a worthy achievement, often time flies, it supposedly can change things too - especially if you give things time.   What a wonderful gift time is.  So much we can do with it, so little we can do without it.

A lifetime loving a loved one I've discovered just isn't long enough.

Time, we think we have all the time in the world.  Only when time no longer allows us to luxury of sharing do we relies how little time we truly have.  Yet it doesn't feel like that at times, a moment during hardship can feel like forever.  No mater how we live our lives, time is either a steadfast ally or its hardy worthy opponent.

So much has happened within the time between my musings. Bereavement, birth, birthdays, transformation, healing, beginnings, endings, discoveries, creativity & acceptance. My observations thumped, tickled & touched by all.

Life's journey always challenging us all to maintain that sense of balance, to remain true to those broad, birds eye perspectives sensing always the love, in the moment, no matter what the experience.

Its such a fascinating time, such a curious generation with so much technology. Online virtual lives sharing one gigantic connection. The common ground being primal tribal unity. Likes & dislikes united by taste & tantrums. . it is with a sense of taste I share some musings.

How can time be used to give, to bring, to unearth the depth & purity, the authenticity of responsibility & poet of ones own Soul. How can a generation who are almost encouraged by marketing & media  to blame others for their own misgivings. How can they gently be awakened, to become conscious. What will becoming conscious mean to them? How can they be reminded to consider & be responsible for their own actions & words . To take responsibility for their own feel ins & deal with them accordingly.

To learn what belongs to themselves & what belongs to another.

How to 'trend' the modern day version of the 10 commandments which are so greatly needed within society.  Ooh the joys of living, the awe of loving & the trials & tribulations of emotionally managing both harmoniously & peacefully.