My Happiest Week 😀

Hi Readers,

BANG!!!

Two posts in less than a week after another long gap between posts. You can definitely tell who is still on leave and has a little bit of time on his hands!!

I actually do have a little bit of spare time on my hands as I went over to spend time with Sam and Phoebe this morning before they head off on a short honeymoon and now I'm waiting for another son, Will, to finish work and then we'll head out for dinner before I head home in the morning.

Having time to myself to think about what I have experienced in the past week has really made me feel so lucky that I am surrounded by the people I have spent most of the past week with. It would be so easy to reflect on all of the things that can bring one down, and believe me I've had a few of these lately, but what's the point? Whenever I do find myself doing this I only have to give myself a mental slap and concentrate on the events of this week and I'm back on cloud nine again.

How has the past week been for you?

Having asked this, I'm pretty sure that some of you will be thinking that you have had the crappiest week, and I'm sorry if my asking has dredged up bad memories for you. I sincerely things improve for you. 

The whole idea of this post came to me when I went down to the beach from my digs this morning, a task that sounds much easier than it was. I decided not to use the crutches as I nearly went arse up last week when I was trying to get across the sand and to the water. Today I tried it with the walking stick I am now also using. A bit more discreet than the crutches, but it makes me twice as slow.

Moving across the soft sand I must have resembled one of those giant tortoises that make sundials look fast. I was getting increasingly frustrated at how slow I was, how careful I needed to be and the significant pain in my leg from the effort. Eventually I made it to the water's edge and stood in the ankle deep tide. The soothing effect of the water was just so amazing, perhaps just this simple experience changed my whole mindset, and then I started to think about all of the fantastic experiences I've had in the past week and the huge number of lovely people I've spent this time with.

I was looking down and all I could focus on was my walking stick and my swollen foot and it was only for a second that I was thinking something like "Things aren't great for you right now". This was immediately replaced by a totally new mindset of "How great are things for you right now!!"

Yes, I do have a sore leg, but that's an 'ant' compared to the 'elephant' of the happiest of experiences that I have been having lately. As the waves were washing over my feet I could only remember that well known quote, 

"It's not what happens to you, it's what you do about it"

I could wallow in self pity, or bask in the joy of the memories of the past week.

What an easy choice !!

I sort of talk about this in a post from last year, so forgive me for banging on about it again! https://bkerrins63.blogspot.com/2022/10/turn-your-magic-on.html

Regular readers might just have noticed something here.

"Whoa !! He's now putting in direct links to previous posts rather than just mentioning them" For all you know I may have been making it all up.

Back to the beach.

After looking at my elephant man foot and realising that my life was so good, I just looked left and right then straight ahead and realised what a great place I was in, physically and mentally. I soaked up this moment and already my day was continually getting better.

Looking right

Looking left

Obligatory selfie ! Remember, I have to do my own photos now.

Looking straight ahead

Now I can almost hear some of you saying that of course it would be easy to be thinking so positively when one is not at work and is on a beautiful beach on a glorious day, and I agree with you. But just before I ventured down to the beach I was feeling a bit sorry for myself as I knew that my time up here was quickly coming to an end and reality would bite me in the bum next week when I head back to work. That's when the time of searching for the positives becomes a habit and one's mindset can change in the blink of an eye. I was also pleased for the fact that I immediately searched for the positives, and it just happened so quickly, something else that I mentioned in this post from last year...

https://bkerrins63.blogspot.com/2022/11/small-habits-big-difference.html

There he goes again trying to look like he's a tech wiz, when in reality he's a definite amateur !! But if you want to go back and look at this post, there's the direct link.

I sincerely hope that it is becoming a habit for me and not something that I consciously have to try and do.

So what other events have blessed my life in the past week? As you'd expect, most stem from the wedding and spending time with my boys, time that is just so precious to me now more than ever.

Something that really struck me at the wedding, and the night before as well as the night after was just how happy everyone was. Wherever I went, whoever I spoke with, there was just so much happiness, smiles laughter...you name it, it was there. Once again, people could be thinking "Yeah, pretty easy up there in Qld in that environment", but I'd say it was much more than that.

So much more.

After thinking a lot about this, my view is that it is the pure quality of the people who we spent this time with. Here I am, old enough to be the parent of most of these friends of Sam and Phoebe, but did that matter at all? Not one bit. The way that all of them were so welcoming to me (and our boys) made the nights together an absolute blast. I was treated just like one of their friends. And the same applies to their many friends who I had never met before, they were just so keen to come up and have a talk, a beer or a hug. One even tried to get me on the dance floor!!! It says so much about them as individuals, but also collectively as a group as they have stayed so close right through their early teenage years to today where they are now getting into their early 30's and starting their own families. Just to see them enjoying each other so genuinely was a joy to watch, and to be welcomed into this was something so special.

I'll always remember this event as 'the Happy wedding'

The happiness from Sam and Phoebe was just so infectious.

And it continued onto the dance floor !

Maybe I'm looking through the rose coloured glasses again, but in a time when the young people of today are often portrayed negatively, I have nothing but admiration for the large number of Sam and Phoebe's friends who clearly defy this type of labelling. 

And saving one of the best bits for last, the time I got to spend with our grandson Henry, the absolute love of mine and Jen's lives. The little man is now talking a lot more, is continually active and just loves nothing more than having a good old fashioned play. Being involved in his life is my absolute joy, I just wish that Jen was able to share in this with me.

He definitely impressed at the wedding and it was just so nice to see him being as much a part of it as his parents. Not hard to see that his Pop is totally smitten with this 

young man 🥰 😍

Now for a slight divergence, but something that really struck me in the most positive way.

When I checked into my digs a week ago, I noticed a bowl of small tiles on the counter. On each tile is a positive mindset quote or word/s. Talk about a bee to a honey pot!!

After my 'enlightenment' at the beach this morning I committed to myself to go into the office and pick out three random tiles and use them in my post today.

Here's what I ended up with...

The bowl of tiles.

To me this spoke about the willingness of Sam and Phoebe's friends to embrace us all so warmly over the past week, even when I kept forgetting their names, they just didn't care. Also their own willingness to continue to strengthen their own collective friendships, bonds that will clearly last forever. They are a very fortunate group of people.

Yep, I've spoken a lot about this over the journey, probably the one thing that I've learnt to appreciate the most over the past 18 months.

https://bkerrins63.blogspot.com/2022/12/taking-things-for-granted.html

At first this one seemed a little odd to me, but then I just got it. You all might interpret it in your own way, but for me it just encourages me to pursue my blogging in the manner that it has taken a different direction since we lost Jen. Previously I'd never consider being so open in my posts, but now I just don't let it worry me. It helps me to cope with moving on and to accept that being vulnerable is okay.

Some things just present themselves to you at the right time, and this tile is an example of that for me.

And finally, the blackboard outside the office where I'm staying...

And before you think it, no, I'm not staying in a cult in the mountains beyond the 

Gold Coast !!!

This summed up my week. Not everything was perfect, but it was filled with perfect moments, and they made it my happiest week. 

Once again Readers, just another bang on from my part, but as I said, I enjoy the writing each time that I do it and it gives me so much time to think and reflect on the things  that happen in my life and the people who mean so much to me.

Until my next post...

Cheers 😁