Nothing beats the feeling of achieving a personal challenge and even more so when we are being sponsored in support of a good cause.

This weekend I am a very proud Aunt as my fabulous nephew and his team known as ‘Mary’s boys’ set themselves an incredible challenge climbing ‘Three peak’s Challenge’ tallest mountains in Scotland, England & Wales in under 24 hours followed by 408km 2 day cycle ride home from Wales to London. Not only did they complete the challenge they also reached their target of raising £20K in aid of the special care baby unit at Watford hospital.

Well done to all the great young men that took part you are amazing.

If you feel like donating the link follows:-

https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Team/MarysBoys1

On a visit to my London Hospital (UCLH) this week I met an amazing therapy dog called Nelson who spends his days at London hospitals making a real difference to patients.

There are a whole team of volunteer dogs who work at my hospital visiting young outpatients and those awaiting radiotherapy many of whom are rescue dogs from Battersea Dogs home.

Nelson was a beautiful dog with great karma accompanied by a really lovely owner kindly donating his time with his much loved pet helping brightening a day’s visit to the hospital.

Animals can really help with recovery and general wellbeing and can lower one’s blood pressure levels for certain. Cannot beat the unconditional love one can receive from a pet.

We have sadly lost another great voice who gave so many of us the soundtrack to our lives. Aretha Franklin one of my favourite singers has left behind a great legacy and as with many great artists her music will go on for generations to come.

Too many great tracks to name but personal favourite of mine of course is ‘Natural born Woman’ her words resonated with me at a very difficult time in my life. Having lost my mother, and, for a while my sense of purpose, I fell hopelessly in love and the man (love of my life) in questioned made me feel exactly like the lyrics.

Music can of course be therapeutic and can transport us back in time to a place or a special person and unlock precious memories. Hearing this song on various media tributes I am remembering this past love today…oh lordy where are the chocolate biscuits..the healthier option.

Yesterday was the anniversary of my amazing stepfather William finally losing his battle with Cancer. I know how too often Step parents get a bad press and, obviously some may be deservedly so.

However, I was one of the really lucky ones and had the love of a great man for some fifteen years and he couldn’t have been kinder or more supportive of myself and my siblings had he been our ‘real’ dad. When he died my mother bought me a garden bench and, some thirty years on, this weekend it is boasting a few coats of cream paint having changed colour many times. It is not a valauble bench but it is more a case of what it represents.

Whilst painting it I remembered a fun painting session I had with him in my mid twenties when he was helping me paint my kitchen in my flat. I stuck my foot in the paint tin and after a few hours of him experiencing my inadequate decorating skills he suggested mum and I left him to it and went shopping!

As I say and write often;the bereavement journey is a long one and it does get easier, his struggle with cancer and his eventual death I found extremely tough at the time…but now I can just remember his love and his great s.o.h.

We keep our loved ones alive in our hearts for certain.

There’s rarely a week when somebody doesn’t talk to me about school bullying and teenage angst. Parents are either being accused of lazy parenting or being a helicopter mum!

Recently I spoke with a parent who openly admitted that the types of issues based around bullying on media she is facing with her young daughter her parents never experienced..and that’s a fact.

Apportioning blame or arguing over responsibilty helps nobody but I must confess that the majority of monitoring, educating and supporting our children through the minefield of stress related illnesses and anxiety has to be dealt with at home.

Yes, it would be useful for schools to help with extra advice and support, though I am reliably informed by contacts within the education sector that parents attendance to such events are poorly supported.

The relationship the younger generations have with their phone is proven damaging in so many ways and how we tackle such sad issues as self-harming through media bullying is not an easy one. Limiting phone use whilst frowned upon can reduce the access bullies have and hamper their control.

To anyone facing the challenge of comforting a child who self-harms please seek professional help and sooner rather than later. Keep the school informed as they are supposed to apply and enforce the anti-bullying procedures in place.

I have been away from my blog busy helping clients and on my own continual learning journey. Not like me to not feel inspired to blog – I have been inspired don’t worry but a week has flow away and my blog neglected.

However, yesterday with the sad news  that Barry one of the Chuckle brothers had died I felt the value of his service should not go unacknowledged. Now there is a man that gave great entertainment and thousands, no millions of hours of laughter to children and adults alike.

I don’t really consider myself a slapstick humour kinda gal but many years ago I went to see one of the Chuckle Brothers shows. It was brilliant and years later my friend and I and our children (now grown up) still talk about it. Audience participation took on a whole new meaning, and, yes, we were seated in a row close to the stage and received custard pies and a darn good squirting from their water pistols. What remained with me was how much fun the whole cast was having and the poor straight actors had a real job saying their lines.

In life people touch our lives in ways that they may never know…though I am certain Barry knew how much generations loved his work and enjoyed every minute of the ridiculous situations he and his brother used to get in to.

To me..to you..