As many of you know, I lost my father to cancer in February. Just a short 5 months ago since I last saw him, talked to him and told him I loved him. Yet it feels like forever. Today is his birthday. I can’t think of a day more apt in which to post this.

Time seems to fly by in the blink of an eye. We are all so busy… work, home, children, exams, cooking, cleaning, shopping… the list is endless. Already we are halfway through the year, and it seems like the whole World is rushing past us all.

The recent loss I had made me realise quite a few things. My own mortality for one. I am now 41 (and 2 days) , and the reality that I am now ‘middle aged’ has hit me.

So how am I approaching middle age? With grace and dignity, or screaming and having every adventure that I can think of? Well, of course it’s the second one. There is never a wrong time to start living your life. Be you short, tall, fat, thin, old, young, fit and healthy or struggling with illness or infirmity. There are adventures out there for all of us, whether climbing a rock face or even losing ourselves in the beauty of an imaginary world in a book we may read.

We all too often take life, love and people for granted. I know that I am guilty of that as much as anyone. It is all too easy to look at the negatives, or due to a busy life, forget to tell those people how important they are, how much they are loved and how you appreciate having them in your life.

Family is a hugely important part of my life. I am a daughter, a mother, a sister, a niece, a cousin, and an auntie though thankfully not yet a grandmother, and a loved one to many others. But family doesn’t mean just related by blood or marriage to me.

I can thankfully say that I have many friends that I consider ‘family’ Whilst we may not be physically related, we are mentally and spiritually related. I am lucky that I have come to have people in my life that I can turn to, trust, rant, or even have a drunken silly night with.

To know those people “choose” me, and I them, is important. I have some amazing people in my life, whether on a daily/weekly basis, at the end of the computer, or the other side of the world and I am truly thankful for every single one of them.

My circle of friends has certainly widened since I found the vintage and the plus size community. The amazing bloggers who have accepted me and welcomed me into their World, and the people I have found through facebook groups. Meetups, days out, lunches, shopping trips, parties and picnics… all of these are now happening since I put myself “out” there and started joining in, instead of living on the sidelines.

So for all the family and friends I have in my life… Thanks for everything, thanks for being there, and thanks for loving ME!!