10 Year Challenge

My 10 Year Challenge...

So many people posting some amazing and some hilarious pictures across all the social media platforms for the '10 Year Challenge' so I thought I'd take part... simple right?

Quite quickly I realised for such a cute and easy social media challenge to take part in it actually turned out to have a far deeper meaning for me particularly since my diagnosis.

My challenge, it seemed, was how hard I found it to look back at old pictures of myself. I was staring at photos trying to recollect names of people and places and experiences that I now sadly have no memory of. I was always smiling or pulling a silly face and mostly always drink in hand and it looked like I was having fun or a nice time but as I keep looking I'm not entirely sure that I was.

I then reached pictures where Jim (Husband) entered my life and I spotted the difference in myself instantly. There is contentment in my eyes, my smile changes and I look happy - so happy and completely in love. Every single happy, sad and insignificant moment or choice we had made in our lives prior led us to meet each other again.

So I decided my 10 year challenge would change to 'My decade of accomplishments'

I am proud I became a wife, I am proud I became a homeowner, I am proud of the friendships I have, I am proud of Charlie 🐾, I am proud of the love I have for my immediate family and new in laws which is always reciprocated, I am proud of how I am gracefully adjusting to my 'new normal' and I am proud of how I have conducted myself through the past 2 years since my diagnosis.

Buying 'stuff' (everyone has stuff) has become unimportant and doesn't really make anyone truly happy in the long run. But, I think love, hope, good friends, time well spent, helping someone in need, being truthful, making new memories, being kind and finding time for snacks does.

So where to seems I am quite happy to ramble on with what may sound like philosophical wotnots (apologies I have time on my hands at the moment) I couldn't bear to post a picture of the girl I don't recognise or see in myself anymore. She isn't the Woman I grew up to become.

That my friends is my biggest and proudest accomplishment of all 💋

#10yearchallenge #mybraintumourjourney #mydecadeofaccomplishments