It’s that time of year again, you’re going to be childless at Christmas & the feeling of dread is building. If you’re like I used to be, you’ll want to hide away until January. But we both know that’s not possible. What you can do instead is to prepare yourself so you lessen the impact. I have mixed feelings about Christmas. I’m as at peace with not having children as I’ll ever be and not having my parents is tougher to deal with. There are a number of reasons, I guess mainly to do with missing their presence on the day. This year I feel reluctant to get into the ‘Christmas Spirit’. I guess it’s early yet (& maybe that’s the point!), I’m writing this on 19th November but I’m already fed up with the Christmas adverts. We visited family at the end of October & were offered mince pies (noooo). I saw a Facebook post the other day which was ‘there are 12 days of Christmas & none of them are in November.’ Quite. I hope that doesn’t make me seem too miserable; I feel very strongly that, in the UK at least it’s become far too commercial. And I’m determined not to fall for that. It’s time to do Christmas differently This year, for only the second time it will be just the two of us over Christmas, so it will be quieter & the main thing is we can be flexible. We’ll definitely get out into the … Read moreChildless at Christmas: this is all you need
Two things I learned from a near miss
A few days ago I came the closest I’ve ever come to having a big car accident. I was on a small roundabout turning right (so I had the right … Read moreTwo things I learned from a near miss
Living with Amazing Grace
‘Today the statistics for early miscarriage are shocking; one in four pregnancies end in loss. And for many there never is an answer or a reason why they lost their … Read moreLiving with Amazing Grace
The surprising benefits of acceptance
In my last blog I asked you to let go of your dream of motherhood and today I’d like to dig deeper into another huge subject which comes with letting … Read moreThe surprising benefits of acceptance
What could happen if you let go?
You’ve probably noticed that the leaves are starting to turn colour and days are getting shorter. This can only mean one thing; Autumn is here. Or if you’re reading this … Read moreWhat could happen if you let go?
The 2 Ps of grieving
This month I have an article published in Yoga Magazine called ‘How Yin (yoga) helped me grieve’ (you can read it here). It’s the most open, honest & vulnerable pieces … Read moreThe 2 Ps of grieving
How Yin (Yoga) helped me grieve
Below is the transcript of an article which was published in the August 2019 edition of Yoga Magazine. It’s called ‘How Yin (Yoga) helped me grieve.’ I wrote it from … Read moreHow Yin (Yoga) helped me grieve
Who’s telling your story?
In my last blog, I published Rose’s story; she’d been a client several years ago & suddenly felt ready to share it publicly. However she wasn’t prepared for how it … Read moreWho’s telling your story?
Reflecting on a year of Finding Joy
As I post this, (18th June 2019) it’s exactly a year since my book, Finding Joy Beyond Childlessness was published. I planned to write a positive & inspiring post about … Read moreReflecting on a year of Finding Joy
Working hard at being happy
Last week, together with others I was featured in the UK national press in an article about being both childless and parentless (which, let’s face it is where all of … Read moreWorking hard at being happy
What are you settling for?
Do you ever suddenly realise you feel great and it surprises you because you didn’t realise how lousy you’d been feeling? This has happened to me a couple of times; … Read moreWhat are you settling for?
What good could come?
I heard these words last weekend at the ‘There’s More To Life Than Children’ day at Fertility Fest. They were spoken by Sheridan Voysey during his talk as part of … Read moreWhat good could come?
The 5 things I’ve learned coming to terms with childlessness
You know sometimes you get an email that brings everything to a stop for a few moments? That happened to me last week, I had an email from the Emma … Read moreThe 5 things I’ve learned coming to terms with childlessness
What’s the link between a water bottle, a dragon, a swing chair and a stone?
‘I feel incredibly sad, a sadness deep inside. It’s almost overwhelming, a heaviness inside my chest that I carry all the time, if only I could cry.’ ‘I’m sad and … Read moreWhat’s the link between a water bottle, a dragon, a swing chair and a stone?
What’s love got to do with it?
I’m going to dive right in and start with a question. Do you feel and express love for others? Ok, I’ll hazard a guess that your answer was an unequivocal … Read moreWhat’s love got to do with it?
The challenges of following my own advice
It’s been almost a month since my last blog when I encouraged you not to start new things and set resolutions but, instead to follow nature, be still and direct … Read moreThe challenges of following my own advice
