What’s the most important thing?

I love my work and I’ve been guilty of focusing too much on that and not filling my own cup. It’s a hard balance when work does some of that for you.

Then there’s family. When my daughter headed off to Uni in Newcastle, it hit hard. Having had a son already fly the family nest I wasn’t expecting it. I knew it would be tough but not THAT tough. The distance made all the difference. Whilst my son was up the road, having my daughter 3 hours away felt huge. We also did a lot together at home. I lost a companion as well as a daughter and it made me realise..... I love my kids, I love my work AND I have to find my joy outside of those things.

The most important thing, we expect to say, is our family and yes, they’re pretty top of the list. Yet they grow, they leave, they build lives for themselves. I’m so bloody proud of them AND I have to make sure I’m growing, changing and building the second half of my life differently. The one where joy, fun and adventure will feature heavily. The one where I’ll still get trips to catch up with them AND it’s different. I need to be the most important thing. To make sure I’m well, happy and healthy. To make a life where they still feature heavily and yet that allows me to be brave and let them go and do their own amazing things in the world.

Are you embracing the second half of your life? It may not include kids and yet it will inevitably involve growing with an older body and a change in what’s important and possible. Let me know what you’re doing to prepare yourself for your next chapter and I’m hoping there’s some adventure in there! 💜