Many people will remember 2016 as the year too many legends were taken away, from Alan Rickman and Terry Wogan to the most recent George Michael. We will remember how torn the world felt through Brexit and Trump. We will remember the Toblerone changing shape and Honey G enraging the nation, finally revealing how false The Fix Factor is.
How will I remember 2016? If my children ever ask me, "Mum what was 2016 like?" I will briefly mention the above but I will remember this year for being one of the busiest, emotionally challenging years both good and bad.
At the beginning of 2016 I had my 7th operation, one which my knees have never fully healed from. I then lost my Grandad the week after. My heart broke. He was the chap that would treat our teeth to lots of sweets, shout at the sports on the TV and visit every week. He always made sure that the effort was put in for his family. My fondest memories are of my siblings and I placing shaving foam in his hair whilst he napped and waking up startled with us in stitches. I also loved to watch Home Alone with him as he would get himself into hysterics. I'll never be able to able to watch that film in the same way again. I'll never want to erase the image of him slapping his hand down on his knee, throwing himself forward, face bright red and mouth wide open; a laugh he couldn't contain. I will make sure my boys always remember their Great Grandad Alec.
I will tell them how they made the cutest page boys for their Aunt and Uncle's wedding, I will explain to them how family and friends came to celebrate the happy event and how it was filled with love and laughter. I will describe the beautiful scene in the venue, of family all sat around each other and huge smiles on everyone's faces. I will tell them how we spent another family holiday down in Devon. A week that I miss. I will recall the night my brother convinced them that there was a monster in the garage. I will recall how peaceful being sat on the beach was with our family around us.
I will tell them that instead of getting bogged down with the media's reports on all of the negative events, we felt saddened but then did the best thing, which was to embrace our own lives.
We spent the Summer with smiles on our faces and the sun beaming down on us playing. We grew our first sunflowers and made daisy chains at the park. We had friends round to soak up the sun, we splashed in the paddling pool.
When Autumn came around, we didn't fear it, we embraced it further. Zachary started school. His first day was filled with both sadness and pride. The days have never really been the same since, we now have the hustle and bustle of school life, from getting pack ups made, shoes polished and routines knuckled down. The holidays and weekends are something I enjoy even more now.
Life will never be the same again after this year is over. I am a school Mum now, my boys are older, my family unit has changed and altered. But life will still be good.
2016 has been full of ups and downs, turns and whirls. It has been a roller coaster of activities, of emotions. We have gained friends, lost friends. But one thing remains. We are family and we are the ones still here at the end of the year. We will remember 2016 for being turbulent but full of love. Always full of love. The main thing I will remember is to embrace the time with the ones we love and to pick out the good in each and every day, even the really rubbish ones where all we want to do is cry. There is usually something good in each day, even if it is only small.
I cannot wait to carry that love forward along with all of the lessons I have learnt over the past year into 2017. As a family.
I hope you all have a fantastic New Years Eve and Day. I hope that 2017 brings you lots of joy, laughter and love and mostly I hope that 2017 is a little calmer in the great big sea of life.
How will you remember 2016? Pop a comment below, I'd love to hear from you.
How will I remember 2016? If my children ever ask me, "Mum what was 2016 like?" I will briefly mention the above but I will remember this year for being one of the busiest, emotionally challenging years both good and bad.
At the beginning of 2016 I had my 7th operation, one which my knees have never fully healed from. I then lost my Grandad the week after. My heart broke. He was the chap that would treat our teeth to lots of sweets, shout at the sports on the TV and visit every week. He always made sure that the effort was put in for his family. My fondest memories are of my siblings and I placing shaving foam in his hair whilst he napped and waking up startled with us in stitches. I also loved to watch Home Alone with him as he would get himself into hysterics. I'll never be able to able to watch that film in the same way again. I'll never want to erase the image of him slapping his hand down on his knee, throwing himself forward, face bright red and mouth wide open; a laugh he couldn't contain. I will make sure my boys always remember their Great Grandad Alec.
I will tell them how they made the cutest page boys for their Aunt and Uncle's wedding, I will explain to them how family and friends came to celebrate the happy event and how it was filled with love and laughter. I will describe the beautiful scene in the venue, of family all sat around each other and huge smiles on everyone's faces. I will tell them how we spent another family holiday down in Devon. A week that I miss. I will recall the night my brother convinced them that there was a monster in the garage. I will recall how peaceful being sat on the beach was with our family around us.
I will tell them that instead of getting bogged down with the media's reports on all of the negative events, we felt saddened but then did the best thing, which was to embrace our own lives.
We spent the Summer with smiles on our faces and the sun beaming down on us playing. We grew our first sunflowers and made daisy chains at the park. We had friends round to soak up the sun, we splashed in the paddling pool.
When Autumn came around, we didn't fear it, we embraced it further. Zachary started school. His first day was filled with both sadness and pride. The days have never really been the same since, we now have the hustle and bustle of school life, from getting pack ups made, shoes polished and routines knuckled down. The holidays and weekends are something I enjoy even more now.
Life will never be the same again after this year is over. I am a school Mum now, my boys are older, my family unit has changed and altered. But life will still be good.
2016 has been full of ups and downs, turns and whirls. It has been a roller coaster of activities, of emotions. We have gained friends, lost friends. But one thing remains. We are family and we are the ones still here at the end of the year. We will remember 2016 for being turbulent but full of love. Always full of love. The main thing I will remember is to embrace the time with the ones we love and to pick out the good in each and every day, even the really rubbish ones where all we want to do is cry. There is usually something good in each day, even if it is only small.
I cannot wait to carry that love forward along with all of the lessons I have learnt over the past year into 2017. As a family.
I hope you all have a fantastic New Years Eve and Day. I hope that 2017 brings you lots of joy, laughter and love and mostly I hope that 2017 is a little calmer in the great big sea of life.
How will you remember 2016? Pop a comment below, I'd love to hear from you.
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