This week I turned 25. Another year! Recently I’ve been seeing people who were in my life years ago. You know how it is, you’re just in the pub and you see that teacher you haven’t seen in aaages. The memories come flooding back and you tell yourself you’re not at school and you’re an adult (!!) now. Then they ask the dreaded question…

What are you up to these days?

Oh ere we go. Don’t get me wrong I’ve asked it too. But, don’t you find it’s like you some how try and summarise your life in an instagrammed filtered 30 second version that makes you look like a totally put together person? That’s what I do anyway.

Then this week I was thinking, why do I panic? We’re all just plodding on trying our best to try our best. Actually when I look back on what my thoughts and goals were when I was younger, I never thought I’d be where I am. *sorry for the X Factor back story – but it’s true*. So instead of being judgy I thought I’d write 25 things I’m grateful for.

1. A lovely family who always motivate me to push for more

2. An incredible wheelchair that not only gets me from A – B but gets me up those dodgy drop curbs and has great suspension

3. Friends who let me say that disabled joke even if it is a bit cringe

4. Having the ability to coordinate care since the age of 18 and being able to choose how I want to learn to be independent

5. Technology constantly improving and making it so much easier to contact my friends when I’m out of action/broken (cc old blog to give you context)

6. To my friends who still go out out with me even though they’ve had to deal with me breaking bones in the middle of the dancefloor

7. To the same friends who still help me order drinks knowing the risk from point 6

8. Having a great bunch of disabled friends from all over the UK and further to look to for support/people to relate to

9. To be in a job that I enjoy with great colleagues to spend my day with

10. For online shopping! Wow did that change my life!

11. Lumie lamps, you’ve helped me be a (bit more) of a morning person

12. To mum and dad for always letting me make my own decisions about my life right from the start

13. ITV player – never miss a thing ha I mean an episode of Coronation Street

14. To the surgeon who put metal rods in my spine, I definitely grew a bit and sit straighter

15. Winning a student election which got me a brilliant first job where I grew in confidence and could public speak without sobbing (literally)

16. My brother for always keeping me humble and never letting me win at Mario Kart

17. Contactless payment – I mean what a gamechanger

18. Having family that helps me figure out how to acheive things that seem impossible at first

20. Learning how to answer ignorant questions with humour (when I can be bothered) it works a treat. (cc this blog about questions people ask for context)

21. High street shops for stepping up their game with kids shoes

22. Wifi – meaning even when I’m broken I can actually get on with my life!

23. For Directions Violet hair dye – younger me was waiting for conditioner that dyed your hair

24. Glitter, just glitter in any form – you make me happy. Always.

25. Being able to have this blog and having actual readers, I still buzz everytime anyone gets in touch or comments. I absolutely love being able to talk to you and share my thoughts. So if you’ve been around from the beginning or just passing by – thank you!

I hope you enjoyed that. If you’d like to, maybe think about what you’re grateful for. I actually really enjoyed thinking about my mindset when I was younger to what I am now.

As always if you want to get in touch – let’s have a chat, get my deets from the contact page

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