Love, respect and be kind

Hiya,

Hope you're all doing really well,

I'm doing a quick post tonight, whilst snuggled up in bed trying to sleep. Anyone who knows me knows I hate to dwell and focus on the negatives, life's too short, but tonight I'm feeling a little bit fragile in fighting a chest/nasal infection so bare with me <3

Whilst being stuck in over the last few days, despite being too tired to study, I have begun watching YouTube videos, and there is one lady in particular  who does fashion/beauty/lifestyle blogging, that is hands down fab on its own, but I also find her so relatable due to the fact that she also has M.E.

Through my own journey of being ill, there has been times when I am very aware that noone sees the suffering that can be endured. This is because you only put your 'best' pictures on social media. The ones when you're at your best, absolutely giving it everything you've got, because why shouldn't you? However because of this, it is easy to understand why people may not see your condition in its truest light. Now, there is nothing you can do about how people may interpret things. We are all guilty of lack of understanding or just not realising what a person has to deal with, though never being able to walk in their shoes, but one thing you can do is listen.
To be listened to is all anyone wants.
If you can possibly try and empathise it's even better, but just by listening you're acknowledging there's a reason to listen. And, for anyone to talk about anything (condition/problem/story/experience) there is ALWAYS a reason to listen.
We are all guilty of letting things go over our heads through busyness, but I think it should be our aim from this day forward to actively listen and try and understand anyone who wants to be heard. We should try and help, not ignore. And this help, love and compassion, should make us closer not frustrated or defeated through ignorance or powerlessness. We all have the capacity to be more than that.
Anyone who has been poorly long term will know that there is no point putting the pictures where you feel worse, up. For one, at the time of being ill, you feel too poorly to upload anything, secondly, even if you could upload you definitely don't want the world to see you temporarily defeated by this awful 'thing' that isn't really you as a person, it's just come and interrupted normal life. Thirdly, you definitely don't want to be reminded of how ill you may feel at the time, you just want normal life to resume and you certainly don't want to think of it again.
With a chronic illness, you will not go to your friends saying "oh I feel soooo ill" , you will say "I'm fine" or even "I'm good", and that's only when prompted to speak about how you feel, else you'd rather not pass judgement as, for one there's no point dwelling, and also you find people only want to hear good news and don't know what to say to the bad. Thanks okay, that's human. But it is precisely the opposite of what people need when they're ill.
People who feel fragile, poorly or drained, don't need you to move mountains (although if this got you better, they wish you could), but for you  just to say, I get it, it must be so difficult,  I'm sure you'll feel better tomorrow, you got this.
I think this is just what I needed to understand  in dealing with ill people, before I got ill myself, and so I thought by writing about it it may show a different perspective to think about.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this,
Have a lovely night,
Love Molly xxx

Catch up :)

Hey,

I'm writing today whilst watching repeats of 'The Last of The Summer Wine' on tv whilst drinking copious amounts of water and tea. Regular followers of this blog may already know I suffer from a condition called P.O.T.S, which basically makes me extremely fatigued and experience pain and discomfort due to my heart beating too fast. In the past year I've been fortunate that I haven't had many dips in health, but as its such a variable condition, you can be doing quite well and then your body just changes and suddenly you feel quite ill. Luckily with help from your P.O.T.S doctor and medication these dips aren't forever, but it's bloody annoying and pretty hard to deal with never the less. In the last two/three months it isn't so much my P.O.T.S that's causing me discomfort, although I feel it always gets worse in the cold weather strangely?? But I think I'm more run down and this is my second infection I've had  in three months. I don't want to be down about it and so I'm doing more to occupy my mind whilst being too weak to do college work. For me this is, of course, blogging, but I've also joined an online group for people with my condition and it's really helping. Sometimes, because P.O.T.S is a condition is very much kept behind closed doors, in aim of living a reasonably 'normal' life, you can sometimes feel isolated in people's lack of understanding when you can't do something, or don't have the energy to socialise. (Despite how much you want to!). These groups are great as you realise there's literally thousands of people all over the world experiencing what you experience and it means you feel like you are not alone, you're not moaning and others feel the same.
This week, I've also done something I've wanted to do for ages and that's buy a professional camera. My mum is on a 'buy it, sell it, swap it' group on Facebook and a wonderful canon camera flashed up the other night whilst cosying by the fire. Within half an hour we were at the gentleman who was sellings'  house inspecting the article and I BROUGHT IT!!
I can't believe it as I've wanted one for so long! This means another thing I've been enjoying is getting into photography (as much as an amateur can). Sso today, despite not being able to go out I managed to wrap up and go into the garden to take some lovely pictures. I don't think there's anything better than the beauty of nature to make you realise no matter how annoying things are (being ill etc), beautiful things still go on and life is more than that!
Alls I can hope is to be better ASAP and get to attend the creative writing group I've joined (it's fab!)
It reminds me to keep smiling! It's nearly Christmas!!! Ahh are you ready?!

Hope this post finds you well and doing some pretty cool stuff too!

Molly Xxx

Blossoms

Hey,

I hope this post finds you really well! I feel like writing tonight,as there's a band that's caught my attention recently and I think they're rather cool. They're called Blossoms.
I'll post one of their most popular songs on here for anybody that's new to the band, but I love some of their stuff on their newest album. I haven't had time to listen to all of it but I LOVE 'From Evelyn' too, so if you can give that a look! <3

Here's 'Charlemagne' anyway :).

I can't believe how fast this month is going! Today has been nice, although I'm sleepier than usual trying to fight a chest infection (alas an even sleepier, sleepy girl :D).  After paying respects  at the cenotaph this morning, I went to a local artisan craft fayre. It was so lovely! Whitewashed tents lined the cobbles, as a busker belted the likes of Oasis and Kate Bush! Right up my street, it was ;). As my mum did her usual scavenge for Christmas pressies, I eyed the handmade jewellery, glass artwork and of course, the scrummy cupcakes ;). Although sadly, now being gluten and dairy free posed quite a problem on the cake front:(, however I did have some pretty banging falafel so I can't complain! :)
I absolutely love craft fayres' at this time of year, as I think they are amazing for gift ideas! I don't know about anyone else, but I think getting unique handmade presents are even nicer than normal presents and most of the time they don't need to be more expensive. There's definitely loads of talented crafty people out there and it's so inspiring!

I think I'll try and get some shut eye now, but look out for fayres near you! You may be pleasantly suprised!

Night night xxx

Imagination stations (lame name, that's a shame)

Hey,


Currently having a break from studies and again I just want to write. Something that won't be marked seems more fun to do somehow!


I feel at the moment like I'm making this blog a bit boring with inward thoughts, I really hope not, and I'm so sorry if that's the case - but bear with me, sure it'll get back to its normal form in no time. Strange how sometimes ya' style changes with your thoughts and its all just different.. Don't know if that makes sense?.. Anyhow' I seem to be writing more for no apparent reason. :D


I woke up today to the most beautiful view. Frost covering the ground, burnt amber garnishing the trees. It was absolutely freezing (quite literally), but I can't explain how beautiful I find things frosted over. It's almost like their preservation is calm and still and effortless and there's something cool about that. The sun was coming through enough to make everything glitter slightly, like when I used to put out 'reindeer dust' on the grass when I was eight. Like the kind you can buy from the shops around Christmas, but this is very real glitter and reminded me that Christmas is really not that far away!


It's crazy; I can remember posting around this time last year that Christmas songs had started playing in coffee shops, and whilst I think that's a few more weeks away, it makes me laugh to think its nearly here.


The big event coming up is the very poignant Remembrance Day. Every year I think its so important to go down to the cenotaph in my town, lay a poppy down and remember all those incredibly brave people who gave their lives for our freedom now. It's such a relevant, important event and one that makes me proud to do. I love seeing the awash of red of poppies over the next few weeks. It's something that beautifully emotional.


Well, I've got to go to my lesson now, but have the loveliest, happiest day - doing whatever you're doing.


(Footnote - I wrote this yesterday at college, saved it and then completely forgot to post it, better late than never ey?)

Love,


Molly xx