Confessions of a Single Mother: THANK YOU 2015

“I have such a good feeling about 2015…” Me, December 2014, talking about how amazing yet how crap 2014 had been…

Well tick- tock how this year has flown. I feel like I blinked twelve times and it’s nearly 2016. 2015; where to begin? I’ll attempt to keep this short, as one could write a detailed month by month analysis of the past year, examining the good, the bad and precisely where I’ve been going wrong. Thankfully; there’s been far more of the good, and I know exactly where I’ve been going wrong. – ( My poor judgment both at the hairdressers and on Tinder, my wild-woman temper and my pitiful inability to wean myself off refined sugar (both a working progress)).  

“The days are long but the years are short” Gretchen Rubin.

This could not be truer for this year in particular. I cannot believe how much Maia has changed this year; from taking her first steps, to her first proper sentences (Yes, “MAMA COME ON” counts as a short sentence, so does “OH GOD”…(we’re trying to phase out the latter). She’s just the sweetest, brightest, most wonderful little person and yes sometimes I want to scream “PUT THE MASCARA DOWN…AND STOP MUSHING UP MY BRONZER”, but mostly she’s a little joy.

As with every year, I’ve learnt a lot . I’ve learnt that I can be happy on my own as a single mother, and that it’s okay that I don’t know what I want to do (y’know, career wise..). After many years, I’ve finally accepted that I just don’t know, and that’s okay, it doesn’t make me boring or stupid, it just means I have more exploring to do. Now when people ask what I want to do, I tell them the truth “I don’t know yet…but something where I really feel like I’m doing something meaningful whilst also using my creativity..” (Then I ramble on about what I’m currently doing; the maths, the drama classes….raising a child…). 

There’ve been times where I’ve envied the freedom others have, their spontaneity (particularly those globe trotters…ohhh to be care free and twenty two..) and all those weekend breaks people go on. But then I spent a night away from Maia and I realised the only place I wanted to be was with her. I didn’t need a night in Madrid or a spontaneous weekend trip to Rome. All those trips could wait. (Nope, we haven’t taken Maia out of the country yet, Grandma is too fearful of her catching something from someone on the flight, and I’m too fearful of Grandma to disagree..).

As with every year, most importantly I’ve learnt to appreciate what I have. 2015 would not have been the same without my wonderful little Princess, my two Superhero parents, amazing family and of course my beautiful friends. – This is starting to sound like an Oscar’s acceptance speech, but I do feel it took a team of people to get me through the year. And what a wonderful team they are. 

So thank you everyone; you know who you are, new faces and old, for everything. Everything being: the Facetime/Skype calls, the “HAPPY WEDNESDAY”/ “How’s your Thursday?” texts and Whatsapps, the many lunches/dinners/dates/nights out/ coffees/play dates/gatherings, little outings with Maia, three fashion shows, several exhibitions, one picnic, one wonderful reflexology session (a post on this to come), nightly counselling/heated arguments with my Mother, Politics/Life lessons with Dad, the courses/work experience, the numerous good books and of course the many magical moments with my little monkey.

I mean this year beats last year HANDS DOWN.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read my rambles. – There will be many more to come. Have a magical New Year 2016!