It was Father’s Day in the UK afew weeks ago and I had mixed emotions about the lovely posts that friends and family were sharing. It got me thinking about how society declares these kind of days as important, but wonder if those same Dads are being celebrated every other day?

Although I’ve always appreciated my parents, Ioss has a way of deepening our appreciations.

Words can’t express how much love, respect and admiration my sisters and I have for our Dad. He’s one of the most loving, honest, loyal, humble and devoted men I have ever met

We are so very blessed to call him our Dad ❤

Dad has always been a proud hard working man. Often doing without himself, so we could have whatever we needed or wanted. If Mam and his 3 girls were happy then so was he. His happiness was and really IS that simple because all he needs is to make sure that we all feel loved, safe, secure and supported.

These are the things my sisters and I are honoured and privelaged to give to Dad ❤

Mam and Dad were the story tellers. Creating magical stories to ease our fears, which still offer us comfort. Now my sisters and I share our stories, which eases Dads fear and gives him a sense of comfort about what’s to come.

There’s so much I admire about my family ❤

LOVE and LAUGHTER is the biggest because no matter how fucking horrible life can be, we always manage to find the funny side of life. Last night was a fine example. Dad was doing his best to keep it together while face timing his brother in the UK. I had a really bad gut and farted. Dad can’t tolerate smells of any kind these days, so he started to dyreach. I sprayed air freshener thinking it would help, but it only made matters worse. I grabbed the laptop from Dad, Kerry grabbed the bowl and Dad was doing his best not to upchuck. Aunty Pat wanders back into the lounge room and Uncle Barry says “Our Tracey just farted and made our Kev sick” she replies “she’s such a lady” 🤣

We laughed so hard and when Dad’s tummy settled he looked at his brother with tears in his eyes, smiled and said “you gotta laugh”

And that pretty much sums things up ❤

I won’t lie, our days are challenging because there’s nothing wonderful about watching someone you love slowly fading away before your eyes. Its the kind of pain that breaks your heart open over and over and over again.

So each and every day we remind ourselves that Dad’s comfort is what matters most and we find and share the love, light and humour whenever possible. My sisters and I can’t change nor control any of this shitty situation. All we can do is keep our hearts open and be fully present for Dad, each other and ourselves.

Truth be told no matter how weak and frail Dad feels, to us he is still the strong, dependable man he’s always been. There’s a softness to his heart, that’s the source of a far greater strength and courage. He really IS our hero 😊

We love you Dad ❤

Forever and Always
To the moon and beyond the stars 🌟
   
Let this be a reminder for YOU to hug your Dad a little tighter and let him know EVERY DAY how much you love and cherish him  ❤

I’m laying in a warm bubble bath, feeling the cool breeze blowing in the window, listening to the rain and I’m grateful for simple pleasures that bring me a sense of inner happiness ❤

However last night was a different story …

My sisters and I take turns having respite, so I was indulging in afew nights at the van. I woke from a nightmare that felt too real at 1am. So I drove back Yam because I needed to see Dad. It was a relief to kiss his warm forehead when I found him asleep, but I still sobbed in my bed.

There are so many thoughts & feelings raging through my body. Observing without attaching to them can be a mighty challenge at times.

Sometimes maintaining flow is a struggle
Sometimes confronting our fear is scary
Sometimes being still with our pain is hard
Sometimes our loudest screams are silent

Truth is,

I don’t always feel strong
My thoughts aren’t always positive
I don’t always feel sunshiney
My emotions aren’t always comfortable

But each and every day I wake up to a new day and I do my very best to honour the moments, with as much honesty, grace and love as I can.

………. and breathe ❤