The great gift someone could give me I receive in bucket loads by some dear friends. It is the gift of compassion, empathy, and understanding. I experience mental health issues, so stigma is something I am really familiar with. Thank God not everyone in my life treats me with stigma. I am blessed with the friends who make up my life because they have compassion, empathy, and understanding. If you have empathy and can put yourself in someone else’s shoes, to see what it is like for them, you are truly amazing. Thank God for the truly amazing people 🙏 who make up my life.
In my life, I have attended Strathmore Secondary College, Melbourne University Institute of Education, and Kangan Batman TAFE. I also did a couple of law subjects at Victoria University.
Do you play in your daily life? What says “playtime” to you?
I’m my life play is a regular occurrence mainly because of Lily. I spend a lot of time “playing ” with Lily. I consider my daily walks with her to be our bonding playtime. Lily also has a lot of toys that I spend time with her playing. From tug of war and keep things off , Lily loves playing with her toys. I also enjoy listening 🎶 to music 🎶 whilst stroking Lily. I consider that playtime, too. Lily loves watching television and barks and interacts with the television when dogs and other animals appear on the screen. I consider that playtime, too. So yes, I do play in my daily life.
Life is what happens when we are busy making other plans. I think that although we have plans and dreams, life is a means journey of unexpected twists and turns.
My everyday challenge is to live with my mental health issues and my diabetes. This is a juggling act that normally I manage fairly well, but from time to time, unexpected stressful situations means I drop the balls I juggle. This invariably means a return of my mental health issues and means I have to focus on my well-being and slowly start to juggle again.
It is my new years resolution that I will stay well and successfully juggle all the balls, but I can never know what curve balls life will throw at me. I am strong but vulnerable and resilient, so yeah, my biggest challenge is to successfully juggle all the balls that make up my well-being.
There are a few things that make me feel nostalgic. Definitely, music 🎶 is a big thing that makes me nostalgic. Hearing certain songs 🎵 can evoke different memories and emotions. Certain songs 🎵 remind me of certain people and the memories of different special occasions spent in their company. I was fortunate enough to attend quite a few concerts in my teenage and young adult years, and hearing certain songs 🎵 reminds me of those times.
Different clothes I own make me nostalgic, particularly the clothes I own that have been from Susanna and Kathryn. The clothes were given to me out of love, and I consciously choose to wear them because I feel the love when I wear them and feel good about myself. Likewise, certain gifts 🎁 I have been given over the years, I keep for sentimental reasons and treasure the memories that these gifts 🎁 evoke.
Yes, I think I am a very nostalgic person and treasure certain things that remind me of times go by.
I’ve been thinking about today’s topic, and the more I think about it, the more blessed I feel with some truly wonderful friendships.
When I initially developed mental health issues, it rocked my 🌎 world to its very core and was the catalyst for great change in my life. I lost some friends around this time, but they weren’t true friends, only around for a good time. I have many long-term friends like Adrian and Vicki . These long-term friends are non judgemental and supportive.
I think of my dear angel lady Susanna, who was like a sister to me. We were so close. Susanna taught me that thoughtfulness and goodwill are what life is all about. I miss Susanna dearly, but I think of all the good she brought to my life, including my wonderful friendship with Kathryn. Kathryn and I treasure our bond over Susanna and know Susanna is an angel who took human form to lead by example how to live a good life.
I include Russell quite obviously as a friendship I feel blessed to have. He is such a gracious gentleman. To read more about Russell, read my recent blog post 📫 entitled “Definitely Russell.”
Last but not least is the positive impact pets can have on our lives. My little dog Lily brings me joy and unconditional love by the bucket loads. I think our pets humbly teach us what is really important in life. I treasure the memory of all the dogs in my life, past and present, and feel that they are definitely gifts from God. Lily is my little muse and gently inspires me to be the best version of myself I could possibly be.
I have a lot to be positive about with the love that surrounds me, both from my friends and Lily.
You get to build your perfect space for reading and writing. What’s it like?
I would like to set up a copy, warm space for reading and ✍️ writing. Ultimately, it will be an old-fashioned room, full of character with several bookshelves for my ever growing collection of books. In my fantas, it will include an antique writers desk with a roll top hood and lots of cupboards to store writing materials. The desk will be in front of a window, which I could look out onto the view and take it in when I am in a reflective mood. It will hsve a table and the set of drawers where I store my art materials and a table and easel set up, so I can readily use it, when I feel a burst of energy for other artistic pursuits. Lily will have a dog bed there, as well as some toys, so as my muse, she can just be a cozy, warm, loving, inspiring presence in the space. It will be an old-fashioned room with the artworks and prints I have collected over the years to comfort and inspire me.
I don’t just have 1 favourite car. I have two. My all-time favourite car is a mini, in particular the little aqua coloured mini my mum had when I was a child.
My other favourite car would have to be my friend Carl’s Maserarti, it is a vintage Maserarti and is sleek and beautiful. My friend Carl is very well to do, and he owns several sports cars, but my favourite would have to be the Maserarti.
My main form of creativity is my writing and both of this blog and other forms of writing, eg, God Bless Our Dogs and The Dance Of The Emerald Dress. Writing is my favourite form of creativity.
I occasionally dabble in watercolour painting, normally when I am in recovery from an onset of my mental health issues. In the past, I have experimented in things like silk painting and jewellery making and ceramics.
In my life, there are a few people who influence me.
The first and probably the most influential is my psychiatrist. He is a good man and gives me wise, sound advice. He is the man who first encouraged me to write a blog.
The next people are the lecturers I had when I studied welfare studies and those good people I worked alongside when I worked in mental health. They, too, helped me gain wisdom and experience in life.
My family and friends also have been positive influences, particularly Susanna, who really became my role model in how to live a good, thoughtful, honest, loving life. She truly was an angel lady 💗. My other friends, too many to mention, are also my greatest supporters in my life, and I treasure each one of you dearly. 💖.
Kaye's Life and other gems 