Are we all happy with that?
I am because if I hadn’t retired to Phuket I most certainly would not be blogging, I would not be warm( it’s so hot and sunny here), I would not be making my own ham and bacon, I would not be a published author the list is endless.
Why? I can hear you all saying.
Choices, circumstances, call it what you may….. sometimes we have to just be brave, go with the flow, listen to our hearts, be a little selfish…..yes why not…… years ago and I mean years ago I wanted to study Law…..I got these looks, comments…why Carol? you have a good job, you have a family why…all these puzzled looks…..why? for me, because I wanted to……so I enrolled…… time to study!
” Mum, Can I? Mum, can you? it didn’t stop…
Enter my friend Gilly…….My neighbour, confidant, shoulder to cry on, my independent career driven friend who had no children of her own…and my kids were her kids…..for sleepovers, cooking, storytelling and she had plenty of those…..
In she came…..like a stern maiden aunt…..even, I was a tad afraid…..” Now listen to me kids; your mum was herself before she was your mum…….when she is studying…because she wants to…YOU….do not disturb her…anything you want you are to ask before or wait until after she has finished studying ”
To me, she said ” you shut the door and you study, you do not answer any knocks, pleadings, wants ”
” Yes Ma’am ”
I miss you Gilly……. so much but your spirit is with me and your pictures ( the painting), The hot air balloons going up, up and away over Weston, my ” Crazy Dancing Cow ”
on my desk…yes she came with me……..you are in my heart, you are my inspiration and we all have so many memories of fun times shared R.I.P, my friend,.
So in I go, sat down..books open, pen at the ready….” Knock, Knock, mum?”
From me…nada..no response…..it got a bit louder…..then went away……came back and tried again…..but after a few days of this ….they got the message…I got peace and quiet to study…….yeah…so I suppose what I have learned through life is we all love our kids, we want to do our best for them but a doormat we ain’t and we all need our me time and everyone is happier for this and do you know?
35 plus years later.
When one of your children tells you that you are why they are what they are today and they are proud of YOU ……….you know you have done something right among all the things you got wrong…and no one is perfect..not me, not you..no one……….
So good luck with the choices you make..don’t beat yourself up if they don’t turn out quite as you wanted but a little bit of self-belief goes a long way…you tried….. every day is a new day.
AND Saturday for me is a big day…I get to see, to hold, to turn the pages of our book for the first time…my very first offerings to the world in print ……… Now, who would have thought…if I had written my future 20 years ago I would have got it totally wrong!
I would not be living here in sunny Phuket………..again..choices, some say ” lucky you,” You are so brave ( not sure I get that one), some may think very selfish …we cannot please all the people all of the time.
It all goes back to that opening line;
” I am who I am today because of the choices I made yesterday.” Eleanor Roosevelt.
Retired? No one told me! 
Oh I remember those days of study too, when my three teenage daughters would lock me in m study telling me I wasn’t to come out until I’d finished m assignment 🙂 Such a good read Carol and your quote is spot on!
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Thank you Debbie..I am loving resurrecting some of my older posts 🙂
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Reblogged this on Retired? No one told me! and commented:
I do hope you are enjoying my archived posts from 2015…I certainly am and it is giving time to do a little more writing so it is twofold …Enjoy!
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Carol, you’re like the guru on the mountaintop! What sage advice and a beautiful tribute to your friend Gilly. ox Anne
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Thank You Anne it didn’t start out as a tribute to her it’s just as you know once I start writing all sorts comes out and your words have made me think well yes I suppose it is a tribute to her she was a wonderful lady and had a very profound impact on my life and I miss her dreadfully and I know she would be so proud of me now. And as for the rest I thank you because you are also a source of great inspiration for me in your words…you rock!
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Very powerful true quote
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Thank you for stopping by my blog and yes it is and also one I believe we could all relate to an inspiring lady.
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Well said! I got my law degree at the ripe old age of 50 and now I am studying the history of Roman law, just because I’m curious – definitely not planning to use this knowledge anywhere anytime soon. Must say, I sit staring out the window at the ocean more times than not and the handbook remains open on the same page … no rush.
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Thank you for stopping by Hester and why not! It’s good to be curious and Roman Law , that sounds interesting. Totally out of no where I saw some amazing photos of the universe a few weeks ago which led me to start thinking will that be where I go next it looks facinating..mmmm 🙂
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this is a great quote that inspired a great post! also, i love the photo! keep up the good work!
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Why thank you TJ for stopping by…I have had that cow for years and I can see why my friend bought it for me….. a Dancing Diva is the inscription on the base and It conjours up such memories mmmmm…some will never be in the public domain….ha ha…I will stop by your post and have a look 🙂
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