There is no failure, you either win, or you learn!

I thought I’d talk a little about what’s been going on in my world..

A little personal but I hope in some small way it can help those of you that have been having a hard time lately, especially during lockdown. I have always been a ‘glass half full’ kinda girl so here I am, looking back at life’s challenges over the last year and appreciating that although life has had it’s hurdles, I have learned a lot too.

Let’s go back to September 2019.. my husband and I had a wonderful holiday booked to go to Thailand - somewhere neither of us had ever been and were excited to see. We had even booked a trip to visit an Elephant Sanctuary in a protected national park to see them in their natural environment and take in the sights with a kayak tour. This was the first disappointment as Thomas Cook collapsed but luckily, we did get our money back! Then in October, my husband was made redundant, again glass half full I said ‘no worries, I’m still earning’ and thought he needed a break from his demanding job anyway. Then in November, I had a weeks annual leave and was looking forward to spending some time together… until my Mum had a stroke. It was a massive shock and we rushed to get to her. It was a 3 hour journey to where they lived and they truly were the longest minutes of my life. Luckily she survived and although she is paralyzed and needs two carers to hoist her from a bed to a chair, she is alive and she is smiling - I’ve never known anybody as adorable as my Mum.

So I go back to work on the Monday after my annual leave, only to be told that myself and my department were being made redundant. ‘Great!’ I thought, ‘Now I can see my Mum and help her get better’. I didn’t think about the lack of money, I just knew that some things are far more important. Luckily my husband was invited to work for a friend and that really has helped as the next 6 months were spent trying to move my parents closer to where I live.

“We are not on earth to see how important we can become, we are here to see how much difference we can make to the lives of others.”

Selling their bungalow meant ‘downsizing’ and by that I mean literally getting rid of things they had held on to for the last 59 years together! The place was crammed, including the attic and we had to go through everything. Quick tip here is to go through your house regularly and sort into charity and recycling - it’s great for the soul and if done often, doesn’t become such a chore! Anyway, we did several van trips back and forth, 3 hours each way, to settle my Dad into a new house. It’s just 300 yards from a carehome so that he can visit my Mum on a daily basis. The move literally took over my life, Mum has taken to her new home like a duck to water but I can’t say the same for my Dad. It’s been a huge upheaval for him and upsetting that he can no longer live with Mum so he takes his frustrations out on me most of the time. Doing all this during lockdown has been extremely difficult, Mum was only in the new carehome for a week when lockdown began but again, I am grateful that she is safe and that we can use the Facebook Portal to see her most days. I couldn’t have done any of this without the help and support of my husband and my brother and sister who have all pitched in and also given me moral support.

“The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you.”

In April I decided to start my own business .. I have dreamed of doing this since I started my first Interior Design course over 22 years ago but I had two beautiful children to raise so that took presidence. I completed my Diploma with the Interior Design Institute over 4 years ago so now the time was absolutely right and I was determined to set it up before I turned 51! I can easily produce mood boards, 2D plans and 3D illustrations, but I wanted to be able to show true images of what the interior design space could look like and invested in a tool to help me do this. I have been learning it solidly over the past few months and my portfolio shows what I have produced for some of my clients. Learning something new, in a subject I love and so passionate about has been absolutely amazing (and a welcome distraction). I want to be able to help others see what they can do with their homes to turn them into beautiful spaces in a way that fits with their lifestyle, giving them the freedom to enjoy the family around them, entertain friends and feel content in their surroundings.

Hopefully doing what I love, will inspire and awaken the hearts of others to follow their dreams, even more so during lockdown where so many people are evaluating their lives. A challenge is a hurdle, and life is about how we tackle those hurdles. I feel so lucky to be able to be my own boss, but ultimately it’s down to the support from my husband, family and friends. I have learned to value them more than ever and have already made some wonderful connections with people in the Interior Design Industry on my journey, even though it’s still in it’s infancy.

All I wish is that you take something from this, enjoy the small things, surround yourself with people you love, learn something new and clear out the attic!!