What is your favorite hobby or pastime?
I have a few favourite pastimes. The first, of course is writing ✍️ this blog and my other writings ✍️. I love spending time with Lily, walking her and taking her to visit friends etc. I also love, love, ❤️ going opshopping with Kathryn or Lani. It is my favourite way to spend time with friends 🧡 and I also love going out for a bite to eat with friends my mum, my nephews and nieces etc.
Susanna was definitely like a sister to me and we used to joke that we were sisters. She was definitely an angel. Susanna’s daughter Rebekah has remained close and I consider her my extended family.
Because Susanna was like a sister, I sometimes joke that I have some Italian DNA. Not everyone shares my sense of humour about this. I know that genetically, Susanna wasn’t a sister, but we were so close, so entwined and shared the same values, thoughts, and humour that we were one another’s sister. I must also say that as time goes on, Kathryn becomes more like that, and it is amazing how we developed our bond through Susanna and our shared grief over her. I believe that there is more than just genetics in DNA, and our shared experiences with our loved ones impacts upon our soul, almost like a genetic imprint, the DNA of love ❤️ and bonds. I know that a lot of people would disagree, but I think some people impact upon our spirituality, and our souls become one entity. So yes, it is perfectly fine for Susanna to be my sister as we are kindred spirits eternally related.
I have been watching the new season of The Assembly on the ABC and felt inspired to write about Guy Sebastian. Guy is a performer I love not only for his wonderful voice and music but also for his Christian faith that I share. I have loved his very first single since winning Australian Idol back in 2003 called Angels Brought Me Here. On The Assembly, he sang his song Choir, which made me think about my beautiful passed-over angel 😇 lady Susanna. Choir was written about a friend of Guys who passed away, and the meaning of the lyrics made me sing along wholeheartedly 🙏🏽 thinking of Susanna being in the Choir in heaven. Guys, music is often inspired by people or events in his life, and his strong faith shines through in his music. I wholeheartedly believe that God sends down to 🌎 earth angels 😇 in human form to do his work and pass along messages of faith to us mere mortals and I think Guy Sebastian was born with a very profound life purpose. I am a fan and feel we are blessed to have Guy.
Tell us about a time when you felt out of place.
The time I felt most out of place was around 12 years ago. I had just left a horrible job experience where I was constantly being bullied. I felt I had to leave that job for my well-being. In between jobs I decided as a mature-age student to do law subjects to improve my advocacy for those with mental health issues. I thought it was a good decision but I felt very much out of place. All the other law students were young,self confident and some downright arrogant. I didn’t fit in and struggled to complete the 2 subjects I was enrolled in. This together with an unsupportive husband who would tell me I was stupid but who also wanted me to do around 10 subjects at a time so I would complete the course quickly, so I could find full-time work and he could live off me. The reality is 3 subjects a semester is considered full-time and I was studying 1 subject and looking for part-time work. I was burning the candle at both ends and when my marriage fell apart I left studying law to once again work in mental health and got my life back together financially and mentally. I don’t regret studying law and had my personal circumstances been different who knows what would have happened. At that time in that place I knew becoming a lawyer wasn’t God’s plan for me.
Your life without a computer: what does it look like?
If I didn’t have a computer my life would be different and would resemble my childhood in many ways.
I would be writing ✍️ using a pen 🖊 and paper 📃. I would probably still be writing literature for children because that has been a lifelong dream.
Most certainly blogs wouldn’t exist so I would have to exercise my writing skills in other ways. I would probably do other artistic pursuits like watercolour painting and silk painting and embroidery etc. I would spend more time outdoors in nature and would send handwrite letters and cards to loved ones regularly.
What skill would you like to learn?
The skill I would like to learn is to be more of a minimalist and less of a hoarder. I am slowly decluttering my place getting ready to move in the not-too-distant future and it is a big job because I have been a hoarder in the past. I wish now that I hadn’t clung onto so much for sentimental reasons. I have the memories I don’t need to keep the objects.
What details of your life could you pay more attention to?
I think the thing in my life I could pay more attention to is to more often get into the mindset of working on my latest book The Angel Lady.
I have the best of intentions of writing The Angel Lady about Susanna’s life as an angel in heaven. I would like to be more often inspired and focused to write about it on a more regular and productive basis. I don’t beat myself up when I am not as regular productive as I would like.
Yesterday I went to a small family celebration that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was my nephew James’ birthday celebration and it was low-key and casual. I feel both blessed and privileged because I was the only Aunty there.
His birthday celebration was shared with his parents, his sisters and their partners and family and a cousin. It was casual and light-hearted, just the way I like it. The pizzas 🍕 were yummy 😋 and it was nice to have something to celebrate.
James is such a quiet, thoughtful and articulate gentleman and for many years he has worked in mental health and I couldn’t be prouder of him than I am already. He has grown up with me experiencing mental health issues and he has never judged me.
I am happy to see him enjoy life in the little townhouse unit that he has recently purchased.
I am so proud of my nephew and feel privileged to be his Aunty.
I heard this quote a few days ago it was from the late Father Bob Maguire who was a priest here in Melbourne who did a lot of good work with the homeless and most vulnerable people here. He was well known and a charming character.
I think this quote applies to my life with my mental health issues. If I constantly worried about my future I would never get out of bed and quite possibly become suicidal. I try to look at the world 🌎 through a glass-half-full perspective. I try not to worry about my future and things that probably wouldn’t happen anyway. Instead, I light a candle of goodwill to my loved ones 😍 🥰 and don’t let the attitudes of negative people affect me. If you do fear the darkness and negative things try to turn that on its head by doing something positive or nice for someone. I know and accept that there are people out there who don’t understand goodwill and spread their misery around but I don’t let these types of people control or influence my life. I would rather light candles than constantly walk in darkness and I ignore these people, choosing instead to spend my time with like-minded positive people for my own well-being and positivity.
Kaye's Life and other gems 