Friday Focus 16/07/21 – Emotional

I’ve been feeling quite emotional this week, thanks to the end of infant school days for Sophie, our wedding anniversary and a few unexpected grief triggers thrown into the mix. Songs coming on the radio that brought back memories of significant moments with Jessica along with an unexpected plot line involving child loss in what I thought was a fluffy romance novel (my safe genre for when I want to escape reality), all of which threw me off-kilter. It’s not too surprising that grief has been lurking in the shadows waiting to pounce this week given the anniversary and end of infant school days. I just wasn’t expecting it at those particular moments though.

 

The word 'emotional'

 

I’m so relieved that Sophie’s year made it through to their leavers’ party without their bubble popping. We’ve been lucky in that respect. I feel so sad for all the children who are missing out on leavers’ parties, especially those who are finishing primary school. I can imagine it must be so hard not being able to say goodbye to friends and teachers.

 

 

What I’ve been grateful for this week:

 

Sophie and Daddy looking at Sophie's school report; Sophie doing a magic trick at the table; me and my husband; a box of chocolates and a cup of tea; Sophie in front of the outdoor swimming pool; Thomas with a 'Y' shaped stick; Sophie in the garden - "#365daysofgratitude 2021 - Week 28"

 

  • Day 190 – I am grateful for a school report that describes Sophie as being “kind and thoughtful”, “likes to help others”, “enthusiastic about her learning” and “always tries her best.” She’s done well this year even with all the disruption from lockdown and I’m so proud of her. Well done Sophie.

 

  • Day 191 – I am grateful for a little magic show.

 

  • Day 192 – I am grateful for my husband. Today is our 12th wedding anniversary and in all honesty, I’ve found this anniversary tough. I’m envious of that couple who were so full of joy 12 years ago; so full of excitement for the future. I miss the people we were back then; the people we became when Jessica arrived and who we were when Jessica was here with us. But while I don’t always appreciate this man who has travelled this journey by my side, I know it would have been so much harder without him and I am so very thankful for his love and support. He has been there in the most joyful moments of my life and the most heartbreaking ones and never gives up on me. Throughout the storms, throughout the highs and lows, he is there for me and for our children. Happy anniversary hubby. Love you millions.

 

  • Day 193 – I am grateful for tea and chocolate.

 

  • Day 194 – I am grateful that there seems to have been a little reshuffle with swimming groups and teachers. After a frustrating few weeks of feeling like Sophie’s progress had stalled, she finally seems to be being pushed again and is improving.

 

  • Day 195 – I am grateful for how much joy finding a stick shaped like a Y (or a “sticky Y” as Thomas calls it) has given Thomas this morning.

 

  • Day 196 – I am grateful that Year 2 were able to have their leaver’s party this afternoon.

 

 

Other things that have made me smile this week:

  • Hubby surprising me with a digital photo frame for our anniversary which included some photos of Jessica that I’d not seen before.

 

  • Having lunch at Halo Play Café with Thomas.

 

Thomas eating lunch at Halo Play Cafe

 

  • Watching Sophie enjoying some imaginative play with the Lego house she created.

 

Sophie playing with Lego

 

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24 thoughts on “Friday Focus 16/07/21 – Emotional

  1. I’m glad Sophie got to go to her leavers party. I’m loving her lego! I know what you mean about triggers, I understand that they don’t want to give away the plot but it’s hard when you get a trigger. I cannot bear anything involving hanging, and you’d be surprised just how often it occurs, it even pops up on Gogglebox. It’s a huge trigger for me. I read the book The Handmaid’s tale a long time ago, but it’s taken up until now to watch the series. Forewarned is forearmed, so they say.

    1. Thanks Anne. I do think trigger warnings would be helpful sometimes and I think they can be done without spoiling a plot a lot of the time.

  2. Aww, triggers! Maybe the thing to do is just to expect them to pop up now and again. Glad the littles are enjoying the last bits of school before the summer holidays begin.
    Stay safe and blessed.

    1. Thank you. There are times when I expect triggers but it’s hard when they pop up in something that is part of my “safe” space. That said, I have learned that there will always be unexpected triggers too.

  3. So glad Sophie made it to her leavers party. Success! The thought of change and the unknown is hard and leavers parties help to make it a bit easier. Well done on her report too. Sorry your “safe” reading wasn’t so safe. Hope your next book is more of an escape for you. Happy anniversary to you both. I love the idea of the photo frame and how wonderful to have new photos. of Jessica. Thomas with his sticky Y made me smile. #wotw

    1. Thank you Cheryl. The last few books have been much better! It was so lovely to see some ‘new’ photos of Jessica. Always so special to have those.

  4. Sending big hugs. It sounds like a tough week. It is good that Sophie made it to the end of her school year without her bubble popping.
    What a fab school report for Sophie, you must be so proud.
    Happy anniversary to you and your husband. x

  5. Great the leaver’s party happened. We’ve just had notification that a family at school have tested positive after the dad caught it from work. Presumably in the lower end of school. Just hoping N gets through the school trip on Wed/Thurs without any issues as they’ll be sharing a bus with other bubbles in the school for the first time. Until then they’ve been kept in small bubbles of 9-10. He’s got lots of tennis things the week after, so I really don’t want him to miss out due to having to isolate at the start of the holidays.

    Happy anniversary. And glad to hear the swimming’s going better. It’s always frustrating when they don’t seem to be progressing.

    1. Hope that you’ve managed to get through to the end of term without N’s bubble popping. It was such a relief for us to make it to the end of term.

  6. I’m so glad Sophie got to go to her leavers’ party. With her infant school ending, it is only understandable that you’d face grief. However, the trigger in the book must’ve been hard.

    Happy belated anniversary to you and your husband. I totally understand how you feel. My husband and I will have our tenth wedding anniversary in September and life has been hard, but it would’ve been even harder without him. #MMBC

    1. Thank you Astrid. Triggers are particularly hard when they are unexpected like that. Congratulations to you and your husband on almost ten years.

  7. Sounds like you’ve had a tough week. Glad that your daughter had her leavers party. We’re isolating pending results at the moment. Just waiting on test results to see if our daughter can go back to school for her last two days in year 5. Happy Anniversary – it’s good to share all the highs and lows with somebody x

    1. Thanks Lisa. Hope that your daughter was able to go back to school for the last couple of days.

  8. Happy Anniversary!

    Well done to Sophie on such lovely comments in her report! And glad she managed to go to her leavers party!

  9. Happy aniversary even if it was bittersweet. I’m sorry you have had some tough times this week but I hope the positives have outweighed them. #project365

  10. Happy Anniversary, how thoughtful of your husband to buy you a digital photo frame and have some new unseen photos in it. Glad Sophie made it to the end of term – none of mine did

    1. Thanks Kara. Sorry that none of your children managed to get to the end of term without their bubbles popping – it’s been such a nightmare with schools, hasn’t it?

  11. Sorry you had such a tough week. Happy belated wedding anniversary and what a lovely gift from your husband. Oh we love a Y shaped stick too. Well done Sophie on such a wonderful school report x

  12. So nice to read that one of our children got to the end of the term without their bubble bursting. I’m sorry that the book took a turn that you wasn’t expecting. It’s always worse when that happens. I love what you wrote for your anniversary. We are 13 years now I think #WotW

    1. Thank you. The triggers are always harder when they are so unexpected. Congratulations to you both on 13 years.

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