Someone very wise once told me to always remember to take life one step at a time. Over the past week this has returned to me over and over again as situations have presented themselves. As this week closes I am left with a simple gratitude for life itself. An untimely death is always hard to comprehend and a family I know are in the midst of that as I write. In time, the comfort of happy memories will surround them in all that they do but for now there is the shock and the pain. This family is a strong one and I can see them supporting it each other and that will see them through this dark time.
Continuing with the wisdom of taking one step at a time I am going to take a gentle punt here. Since Tuesday I have been bursting to tell you something and I think this might be the time. The slight gamble is that it may still not come together but the back story is worthy of sharing. On Tuesday I was scanning through my emails only half concentrating with my head full of my travels to Portsmouth the following day. Glancing across an email I had to immediately go back and read it again. To my complete disbelief it was from a journalist from a national newspaper wanting to write a feature on Scottish island mum. The journalist for the Sunday Post had come across this little blog and had read backwards to see what it was all about. She had then decided that there was a story in it and sent her email.
Thinking this was a gentle enquiry that may lead nowhere I responded and by the time I had got to Portsmouth I had a list of questions and photo requests to attend to. On Thursday morning I then did a telephone interview. As I write this the article is on a page but with no absolute guarantee of publication such is the way of the newspaper industry. We will only really know on Sunday. As Pete receives the papers with the boys ready to sort at the local newsagents he will know before me!
Taking stock a little on this whirlwind of a week I am still struggling to comprehend the level of interest in Scottish island mum. I am, of course, thrilled but just trying to get to grips with it. The questions from the journalist have already made me try and explain why Scottish island mum has been so successful. I struggled then and I am struggling now. I do have some components of the answer but I can't give a conclusive answer.
I do know that this little blog is a complete joy and my relationship with my readers is the absolute best bit about it. I also know that this relationship has helped to shape not only the writings on the blog but the course of my year. That has to be pretty special and I am not sure would be a feature of all blogs. I also know that I try very hard to create a piece of virtual space that is positive to, perhaps, counter some of the doom and gloom out there. But if you add all those components together that still doesn't create the answer. Maybe I am not the right person to ask? Perhaps you guys would be better placed to answer that question?
Ultimately, we may never know and perhaps never need to know. What I am very sure of is that this has been a deeply humbling experience for me and we are only half way through the project! I have no idea what the article will say and that does make me slightly nervous. I would have been happier if I had written it but this is the way of things. The fact that a national newspaper has made a connection with our little space is enough to try and get my head round. The momentum surrounding Scottish island mum is a little crazy and when I was asked if I had a publisher for the book I think I let out a little squeal.... I am starting to get questions that I haven't anticipated so I think I need to get with the programme a little. Scottish island mum is incredibly precious to me and I just want to wrap it up in delicate tissue paper and protect it. This might not be possible after Sunday but, regardless, I need to give some thought to what I would like to do with this body of work once the year is over. But I am taking one step at a time. The article might not even run......
Today has been a mixed day with enormous sadness alongside a need to just get on with things. I took Joshua to the park and this time remembered my camera. Portsmouth is full of lovely green spaces and we had fun timing Joshua over various climbing frames. In spending time with him we are exploring the natural environment available to him and we both loved the elderflowers. We couldn't name all the trees in the park but we did pretty well and we even caught site of a squirrel as it disappeared up a tree at great speed. Through these lovely shared experiences we also continued to chat about preparing for secondary school in September. Joshua is a lovely boy and you would all love him.
I end with my feet planted firmly on the ground following a mortifying experience. Donna and I get up to all sorts and really shouldn't be allowed out...ever. While picking up a prescription we were served by a new chemist that Donna had not seen before. I could tell she had never seen him before by the way we both almost melted into the floor as he looked right into her eyes. They weren't even my eyes but I thought I would melt as well. As only two ex dancers could do we then sort of contorted our bodies as we turned and floated out of the shop. In the sure knowledge that this display of giddiness had been captured by CCTV Donna then proceeded to melt against a lamp post. This shameful act was then defended through declaring shared hot flushes. I don't think so. Donna will never be able to set foot in that shop again. We did giggle though and that was very much needed. Call it therapy.
There is a delightful post script to my week connecting with the national press and it unravels as 'my bonkers hour' that I touched on yesterday. I will let the Sunday Post have their moment on Sunday and then I will tell all.
Can anymore be packed into one week? Life has a way of hitting you hard sometimes with that feeling that everything is coming at once. There is, of course, only one solution for that - one step at a time.
Until tomorrow. xx
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