Things I could learn from my Daughter...

My daughter may only be 1, but she has already taught me so much. SO much. I was thinking about this recently and started to make a list of the things I have learned from her and things I could learn from her, not from being her Mum (I already did a post on that http://amiileanne.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/what-being-mummy-has-taught-me.html ), but things I could really learn from watching her and how she is. I know that sounds crazy… she’s the child and I’m the parent and I should be doing the teaching, but hear me out…

Here are a few things that I think I could really learn from my beautiful daughter.

1. She accepts people and loves without boundaries.

She doesn’t care about age, gender, race, background, religion, or any of those things. Watching children play and interact no matter the difference between them is a really special thing. It’s something I think a LOT of people could learn from.

2. She doesn’t judge.

The world hasn’t taught her to judge yet.

3. She’s not greedy for ‘things’.

Poppy doesn’t want the latest gadgets (apart from mine and her Dads phones… of course she wants those because she can’t have them). She doesn’t constantly want for new toys, or the most fashionable clothes. Really small children aren’t greedy for those things because they don’t truly know how to be, and although they know quite well how to throw a tantrum, the tantrum is usually short lived. They want our time.  Poppy wants me to play with her, and read to her, and take her to the park. She wants the same from her Daddy, and her Grandparents. She wants for the things that don’t cost a penny, and she is free to do that for as long as she wants. We all need to take a leaf from that book.

4. She goes with the flow.

Now, I know not all children are so great with change, and I know I am lucky to have a little lady that embraces change so well. I am almost 30, and I still suck with change sometimes. I have learned to panic, to stress, and to really over think everything that goes with change, and I, personally, need to learn from these lovely, adaptable little toddlers who see things simply for what they are. Change is ok. It will all be ok.

5. She’s always happy.

She can’t tell me this, but the constant smile on her face (anyone who knows her will know that’s true) shows me that she is happy. She smiles at everything and everyone around her. She’s not cynical or full of hatred; she doesn’t know how to be. She smiles because the world she sees around her is good. Imagine how much better our world would be if we all smiled because of the world around us, instead of taking to social media to rant about this, that and the other.

I know this a short and sweet post, but when I started thinking about it, it really struck a chord with me. Maybe it will resonate with you too, maybe it won’t, and that’s ok. Maybe you have learned from little ones and maybe you haven’t, and that’s ok.

Maybe, just maybe, we could all learn something from the way children see the world…

#sayingthanksBLAW15

You may or may not know that this week is Baby Loss Awareness Week... But if you don't know, hopefully you will soon.

There are millions of people in the world who have experienced the heart wrenching pain associated with losing a baby, and despite that, it's still quite a hushed topic. That's why I will always support any 'break the silence' cause. I know this is my second blog about this topic in a short space of time, but I hope you guys don't mind, and understand that it's just something I'm passionate about.

This week, The Miscarriage Association are asking people who've experienced a loss to say thank you to the people who supported them. I immediately wanted to be involved, so I grabbed my notepad and started thinking. I thought I would do a video talking about my experience and end it with my #sayingthanks, or maybe I'd just take a photo holding up a sign, both of which I might still do, but for now I wanted to write. I knew I wouldn't struggle to find something or someone to be thankful for, but what I maybe wasn't ready for, was the amount of things I found I was thankful for.

So here goes...

To the people who supported me in one of the worst times in my life, thank you for:

Being there.

Letting me cry. And scream. A lot.

Being honest and telling me you didn't understand how I felt, but you knew it must have been awful.

Trying to understand.

Telling me it wasn't my fault.

Making me feel less like a statistic and more like a person.

Sharing your story with me. I know that can't have been easy for you.

Listening.

Sitting in silence with me.

Bringing me hideously fattening comfort food.

Making me tea. Tea makes everything seem better.

Giving me cuddles.

Driving hundreds of miles just to give me cuddles.

Allowing me to grieve.
Giving me time.

Giving me hope.

Giving me tough love.

Being gentle with me when I needed you to be.

Letting me hide away when I wanted to.

Helping me face the world when I was ready to.

Bringing me vodka, or wine, or both. Then drinking it with me, or not drinking it if I didn't want to. 

Helping me come to terms with what had happened.

Helping me to understand.

Helping me to help others in similar situations.

Supporting me in every way you possibly could.

Remembering the anniversary of my miscarriage and acknowledging it as something that I needed to mark, even as the years go on.

Giving me the confidence to open up and share my story.

Understanding that having my beautiful rainbow baby, however grateful I am for her and however much I love her, it doesn't lessen the pain of losing a baby. And knowing that that is one of the hardest and most conflicting feelings to have.

Being the most amazingly supportive family anyone on this planet could wish for. 

Being the perfect definition of the word 'friend'.
Telling me it was going to be ok.

And to the (very few) people who didn't support me at all: 

Thank you for making me a MUCH stronger person. Your hurtfulness taught me to never treat people the way you treated me.

#sayingthanksBLAW15

Xx