What Makes You Content?

A good friend of mine, lovely Gill, asked on Facebook last night, "What makes you content?" I enjoyed reading the answers other people left like spending time with family and dogs and having cuddles etc and I even left my own answer which leads me to write this whilst still being tucked up in bed post 11 am on a Saturday morning (a very rare occurrence)

Over the past couple of years, I have had a lot of time to think, being single for a long time is something which I would advise everyone does, it clears the head, straightens the mind and most of all you get a better nights sleep, plus when you do find someone you're more likely to be absolutely ready like me with Mr France

I believe that true contentment comes from receiving the same amount of love that you give out because the secret to life is to be loved as much as you do love.  I'm not just talking about romantic love here, I'm talking about the love of your pets, your children, your friends, the people you have around you.

I know for example that the love Holly gives me is unconditional, even in the darkest moments she has the ability to make me smile, when I adopted her from beagle welfare, it was because I was lost and lonely and I tell people, quite rightly, Holly Bobbins mended my broken heart in the way that only a dog can.  She's lying at the bottom of the bed snoring as I'm propped up by pillows at the top of the bed writing this.

My children also love me unconditionally as much as I love them, even when they're being scary teenage hormonal monsters shouting and screaming at me or slamming doors so hard that pictures fall off the world.

Lastly, my best friends, I know love me in the same way that I love them, we understand each other, we laugh together, we hug lots, we put up with each other's moods and tipsy goings on, yes Harriet, I'm looking at you... Mr F quite correctly noted that he would imagine that when Harriet and I are together we can be a bit of a handful and Mr P, (Harriets other-half) described spending Thursday evening with us at the pub quiz as "some kind of community service" that is the joy of deep and unending friendship though.

I have had a lot of periods in my life where I haven't had traditional love of a family or partner but I've always had the other things and they're what make me content, more so now I guess than ever before, for example being just me in a relationship, I can't even tell you how content I feel because of that, it's the most freeing thing in the world.

So this weekend, I want you all to have a think about the things that make you content and what true contentment really is, go leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts.