On being a single parent...

My wonderful, beautiful, amazing son is 18 tomorrow dear reader, I hope you'll be the first to join me in congratulating him in reaching this pretty epic event and life stage, he told me he really doesn't have any wish to go and get drunk and then vote which is a shame really, it seems like a fun way to do things and maybe the best way to vote!

When I gave birth to Iain I was married but alone, a single parent and now at the precipice at the ending of this era of his childhood I find myself once again married, alone, facing divorce and being a single parent of 3 kids, 3 cats and a rescue husky.

My favourite quote is "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be love in return" I think I would like to replace that with the "hardest"  Just when you think your life is sorted, wrapped up, tied with a bow and decorated with icing it's true to say that you never really see what's coming around that next corner until it whacks you in the nose.

I don't wish to be maudlin even though my heart needs a plaster, preferably a colourful waterproof one with a hug on it.

We'll be fine my fabulous family and I, after all, all you need is 1 great parent, 1 family member who would poke their own eyeballs out for you if the situation arose.  I don't profess to being the greatest mum in the world, I just try hard to love every day and tell my children how much they are loved and valued every day.

I'm 40 years old, I probably have another 60 or so years left on this earth, I'm hopeful, I'm always hopeful, even at this very newly single life stage I have to believe that I won't spend the rest of my days as an effigy of Miss Haversham even if she is one of my most favourite Dickens characters.

I need some time now though to let the dust settle, business can wait just for a moment, a couple of days to adjust, to hug the kids tight, tell them I love them and tell them that in the end we'll be ok, we'll be better than ok, we'll be technicolour fabulous with purple stripes of amazing.

Normal service will be resumed on Monday...