I usually post about birth/pregnancy related topics.  But I have been on a little journey of reflection thanks to five remarkable people I re-hooked-up with this weekend.

If you knew what you knew now 20 years ago, would you do things differently? 
I think some of us would say yes but there are those that believe that the past moulds you and guides you and you can only do that from experiencing life. 

20 years ago I was 23 years old embarking on further study after my teacher training, I had one failed relationship and a lifetime in front of me to live and enjoy.  I grasped opportunities with both hands and lived life to the full (still do) and believed as my parents had always wanted me to in that life was there to be lived and lived to the full.

Roll forwards twenty years and meeting up with “friends” from University.  I felt anxious and found the whole experience “scary” not frightening but just the whole element of the unknown.  I was asked by someone “Is “this” the type of event where you will have to big it up?”  My response was “no I don’t think so …”   As it turned out no it wasn’t and it was perfect, in that there were six like-minded souls  who, when we compared and shared our lives 20 years on, had so many similarities that it wasn’t a surprise that we were the ones who had made it to the Reunion.  We shared that we were Godparents to others children from our University year group, some of us have successful relationships/marriages, some of us were divorced/seperated but we had all had our ups and downs and challenges.  All of us have children who were in similar age ranges and I felt this moulded us plus one of the group had just had a baby (bringing hope & love).  There were those of us still in the “profession” and those that had gone off on their own career path.  But there was a strength of spirit and determination that we had or would find our “niche” and that perhaps still some of us were looking for that illusive something.

What did i walk away with from the weekend?  I am thankful that I have a wonderful husband and two beautiful children.  I am blessed to have a “world” in which I love to be.  I have wonderful friends and clients who ground me.  I don’t want to stray from my path but I am aware that I have to make some life changing decisions and this weekend made me sit back, take stock and “think” rather than be caught up in the roller coaster of life.   

Sharing & caring into the early hours and being open and honest can be a salve for the soul and I felt “cherished” that I was able to do that this weekend.  I have wondered over the years what if I had made different life choices where would I be, what would I be doing and who would I be with?  I have no regrets but am thankful for those that I love and have loved (you know who you are). 

Amazing how over a few hours we touched on birth, deaths & marriage/relationships, friendships, jobs and all that surrounds these which can be challenging to us and the loved ones we have around us.   But we do unite and find that certain something to help us meet these challenges head on.  At the time we don’t always see this but only on reflection can we say “this was a positive and I felt we managed it”. 

I left Univerity with a select handful of close friends as they had always supported me, the choices that I made or sometimes were made for me (when circumstances were beyond my control) but I had the maturity and strength to make choices in order for certain events to be righted and it feels good to know that there are others that understand why something happened that way.  I am glad that people can see us in a different light.

How many failures do we have to have until we triumph?   In my experience lots but eventually we get the formula for life that is right for us.  Thank you to you all for a lovely evening. 

Let’s not leave it another 20 years we’ll be too old to hobble to the bar!