Mum was diagnosed with lung cancer in mid-April and we've been on a roller coaster ride ever since.
I'm pleased to report that she seems to be over the worst of the operation to remove the tumour and now we're looking at stage 2 of her recovery and whatever that entails.
In the meantime, a whole raft of my own life had to be put on hold as I focussed on Mum and made sure that I retained some kind of balance in the midst of the cancer storm.
My gratitude group has been an amazing place to sit and heal and hold onto hope. I've realised that we're all just a bunch of women, struggling to stay sober, eat clean and look after ourselves to the best of our ability.
And I'm so grateful for the support and the positivity I find in that group.
The events of the last few months have made me look again at the world around me and re-evaluate who, what and where I want to be. I've thought a lot about what I want to stand for and what I'm going to focus on in my life.
There is so much hate and vitriol and anger and despair...and...and...and...I could go on, but I won't.
I've made the choice to be a haven for love and growth and patience and tolerance and gratitude. I'm determined to focus on the small things that I can change and continue to be grateful for the wonderful things in my life.
I can grow healthy food.
I can write happy stories.
I can choose to focus on the good in the world.
This may mean that I have to spend a little less time on social (or clear the feeds that I follow).
I refuse to be frightened into believing that everything in the world is bad.
I'm doing my little bit where I can.
Enjoy the photo of Pirate hiding in my bookshelf. He's got the right idea. Find a comfy place to hide and surround yourself with things that bring you joy.
I'll be bringing you more news on my garden (my "Happy Place") in future blogs.
Yours in love and gratitude,
Toni xx
PS I've previously talked about how my Passion Pulse is the bedrock of my life. If you're interested, click here and take a look.