Versatility

The other week I received a call out from a friend giving me this title, which I have saved until I felt a bit more like chatting. The theme has been picked up by a few others, but I'm sticking to the original '7 things' idea, just to be different (er, original?)

I do like the lots of pics ideas, so I threw some in.

• I don't have a 'best friend'. My best friend from pre-school (kinder) was with me until we were 29, when she succumbed to a rare form of liver cancer and passed away. I was lucky enough to be there when she died, but she never met my Little Miss, who was also there when she died. So I have Gerry (below), a mad gay Scotsman I met my first day as a Registered Nurse (when he was my student who saved my ass many a time, and must of cursed the day he got that placement) and 1 friend from high school, who I spent year 7 and 8 fighting with, and still have her in my life today. The best thing about a gay best friend? I don't need to have the 'gay' talk with my child. Her reaction to being asked what gay is? "Like Uncle Gerry and Uncle Mark who are married, Mum".

• I LURVE being messy. In my bedroom, mainly. It drives me nuts to have mess around, but I like that I can lose control a bit and walk over things on the floor, live out of the washing basket, and generally not give a damn. It's taken years to achieve this, and I think it does your mental health a hell of a lot of good if you can do it occasionally. I also love the sense of satisfaction when you finally tidy it all up!

• I take antidepressants. A massive dose of postnatal depression made me realise that I have probably had it for years, but covered it up with partying when the moods were low. I decided to go into Maternal and Child Health, as I know what it's like to have it, so hopefully I can help people through it. Removing the stigma is also a belief of mine.

me 2002

• I used to be so skinny! Look at that pic! Even though I still look slim and 'normal', it's hard not to remember me like that and think I'm now 'chubby'. I have a health BMI of 23, and need to tone up a bit, but God, I'd love to look like I used to!

• I have spent a few years being angry I am a single parent. It wasn't by choice. I don't think it's fair on children sometimes, and never wanted that life for my child. I became the child of a single parent at 18; and am still traumatised. But know that staying in a bad relationship for the child is worse (my parents did that for 10yrs, that is probably what I am traumatised about!) My daily wish is to make sure she goes without nothing, and she is happy and content.

• I hate cooking. Someone said it perfectly recently- "at least it with sewing it doesn't disappear in 5 mins". How true! All the effort of cooking to have it devoured and 10 mins later- "what's for the next meal?" I eat to live, not to eat, and my daughter is the opposite- the sooner she learns to cook, the better for both of us!

• I would very happily pack up my stuff and move anywhere, I feel if I have my happy girl, I am set, and can start over anywhere. However, I also wish for a nice 'normal' life- hubby, more kids and the craziness that comes with that. Single parenthood is the loneliest thing I've ever done, and I wouldn't want to go through it again, I want someone helping me through it!

• I hate myself in photos. That's not a ploy to get comments on this last shot, I just hate seeing myself in a picture, the same as I hate hearing my (I think deep) voice on a recording. I do however love seeing shots of my little girl, she can never look bad!

So that is my 7 things, except I made it 8, haha. Yep, I do like to share. I hope it didn't sound too negative, it wasn't meant to, it was meant to be honest. I have been trying for a while to add something on here that was true and honest, not a 'polished' piece, inspired by a friend I recently met up with.

If you feel like doing it, go on, do it.