Celebrating the little things

I saw a post on a group on my Facebook which made me think about it in more detail, the post basically went as follow:

Author of the post said: "I don’t celebrate any Mothers Day's or any other celebrations like Valentine’s Day or Father’s Day or anniversaries or anything else! Tell me I’m not the only one?"

This really shocked me! I love to celebrate everything, so I wrote the following comment:

Sorry, I celebrate everything,

Christmas🎄, Burns night🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿, Valentine’s Day ❤️, Birthdays🎂, Mother’s Day👶🏼, ☘️St Patrick’s Day, Easter 🐣 , Our Wedding Anniversary 👰🏻‍🤵🏼‍, Father’s Day 🧑🏼‍👶🏼, Kidney Transplant Anniversary 💝 , Adoption Anniversary💝 , Halloween🎃 , bonfire night 🎆 , Advent🎄, my daughter’s Birthday🎁 and back to Christmas🎅🏻!

All of these are special to me and my hubby and my family! I feel so lucky for so many of these celebrations. All of them really...I'm lucky to be here!!

Firstly that I am able to be able to celebrate any of these actually for me is a true blessing. I have been told that I’m lucky to be alive a few times, first when my kidneys failed the first time and I remember just wanting to fall asleep in the back of the ambulance (they told me if I had waited any longer I wouldn‘t have been here!)

The second time my kidneys failed and they were desperately worried I may have had a condition which could have stopped me getting my transplant and living my life! I was desperately ill over Christmas 2014 and I had 7 blood transfusions and many Plasma Exchanges, I remember them being really concerned that my platelets were dangerously low!

Secondly one I definitely celebrate (and I remember my donor) is my transplant anniversary which is my gift of life and my second chance at life and really making the most of everything and following my dreams (life is too short not to try!) The picture below made me chuckle because the Cruise Ship Crew weren’t 100% sure how to word it on our holiday on the cruise! I think it was the first time they had had someone celebrating it!

Thirdly are Mother’s and Father’s Day, we were once told we may not be able to have children (naturally) due to my health issues and I was devastated because I had always dreamed of being a mum (although I had never taken the possibility for granted of having a child, being adopted and knowing the struggles of others close to me, did give me strength to go down that path if that was the case) but luckily our dreams did come true and we could have our miracle daughter! I have also said that if we are only able to have one then I would be very happy. I know how lucky I am to have our daughter.

The fourth is Our Wedding Anniversary which is very important to us! On our wedding day I actually was showing signs my kidneys were struggling (obviously we didn't know at the time!)

Our first Wedding Anniversary, I was in hospital and we managed to convince the doctors to let me out for a meal right by the hospital and then be back by 10pm (promptly!) I had to wear a scarf because I still had my emergency neckline in which looked a bit like an antenna!

We have done lots of different things for our anniversary from seeing Michael Buble in concert (which was Ironically the second time my kidneys failed) to picnics at a country house (during a world Pandemic- you literally can't make this up!)

This year was our 10th and we had planned to do something big but unfortunately due to the pandemic still going on, it just wasn’t going to be feasible to do what we wanted. So in 5 years for our 15th Wedding Anniversary we will renew our vows! It’s also my 40th Birthday that year so a year of big celebrations! I think a big Black Tie/Downton Themed Ball maybe.......just putting it out there!

The fifth is Christmas, it is one of my biggest celebrations and I love it so much I think that stems from my childhood, and having a magical Christmas when I was adopted!

Part of me celebrating Christmas now is actually counting my blessings and now I am able to give back to those who like me in my past, need the support and care I was once given! So I’m donating Christmas stockings to the kidney ward at the my local hospital and I’m also donating for children in care to have a Magical Christmas! This picture below is my first Christmas and my facial expression says it all! (just a side note I love the very 90's crimped hair-sleeping in plaits!)

To give back the magical Christmases I had when I was growing up! I’m now also trying to create very Magical Christmases for my daughter for her to enjoy!

First proper Christmas (she was only a few days old for her first Christmas!)

(I've had to edit this photo above due to having a bit of a mishap with my fashion- my strappy top managed to slip right down-very embarrassing!)

I have gone a bit mad this year, with the combination of Christmas in a Pandemic and a sudden wave of old emotions coming back to me.

I had been put up for adoption and I got give a big walking doll which I thought was amazing but unfortunately when I was "sent back" the doll didn't come with me.

So I had told Santa that I think Phoebe would love a doll and when I saw a Big walking doll that was called Phoebe, I thought I should immediately tell Santa.

I hadn't realised how all my old feelings would resurface after all these years. I think this year I bought things that I thought Phoebe would like but maybe a little bit was about how I had felt too.

Elf On the Shelf was another example of trying to do everything in her first few years but Phoebe always came out of the bedroom and when she saw her Elves had been up to mischief, she would always be excited and say "wow"! I guess I could have probably just read her the Elf on the Shelf book but I decided to make her own personalised book because you know.........!

Probably along with painting my own Christmas Plate set probably wasn't necessary but hey they made me happy (I couldn't find a Christmas set I really liked) and all the other things I've made!

I think I now realise she will never feel how I did at Christmas and now I can give back and make sure all those children in care never feel like I did either. I guess your past doesn't ever leave you, you just learn to move on.

I think that‘s why I want to open my own Christmas shop because I want to spread the joy to everyone and create those Magical Memories because for me that is what life is really about!

So to sum up: I don't think there's anything wrong with celebrating with the ones you love and who love you because as you can see pretty tough but there is definitely space to create Magical Memories and celebrate the joys in life, they may be small but they are in actual fact monumental! I think by celebrating the joys you can replace those negative things that stand out - Silver Linings and all of that!

Lets spread the LoveXX