Life isn't always easy - when I woke up this morning there was nothing in my head telling me to blog. But if there had of been, it probably would have been a piece about how Parkinson's Disease has robbed my mother (and my father, as her full time carer for the last 10 years) of life and how much it, well quite frankly, sucked.
Then something magical happened. I spent the day with my soon to be 3 year old niece and saw life though her eyes and suddenly everything seemed less dire.
I picked her up at 11am, intent on doing some shopping, have a spot of lunch and a walk in the park. I got that and so much more. I got honesty, lots of smiles, lots of giggles, lots of thank you's and a gently tug at my hand every time I looked in a shop window for too long.
We started with clothes shopping. One tutu, one dress and an array of tights and tops later, we meandered through the mall, hand in hand, stopping to look at "diamonds" on the footpath (purely decorative but oh so exquisite to a 3 year old), listen to a one man band busking in the arcade, window shopped in the lolly shop before ending up where my auntie and mum used to take me for lunch 35 years ago. It's still there, serving the same food, just a lot more expensive. We chose sandwiches, chips and a culinary desert of "frog in the pond". We munched away, people watching, giggling at the group of senior citizens at the next table slurping their milkshakes and keeping out of the 30+ degree heat.
Then a stroll to the local park to look at the monkeys, ride on the train around the park, play on the swings and go down the slide (100 times). Not once did I feel the need to check in with work, I was too busy having a blast with my niece. We splashed water at each other at the old fashioned bubblers, we played in the first autumn leaves, we stopped and talked to every "little person" we saw - simply because that is what little people do. Big people could take a leaf out of little people's books any day..
And then as we are driving home she says "You are my best friend in the whole wide world". AND I'm happy to be her best friend, she demands nothing but attention and love and the occasional tutu..... I can manage that no problem.
