I’ve been diagnosed with a shoulder condition (tendonitis) that causes acute pain and is mostly down to stress and overuse. I’m barely able to lift my left arm a certain level or even use my left hand for certain tasks without going into agonising spasms.
Needless to say, I have to take things a lot easier over the coming weeks.
Of course it means our typically messy maisonette is descending into chaos. At times I look around and feel depressed and overwhelmed.
But when asked by ActionAid to write about What Makes a Happy Home, I thought about the fact that, as much as I crave order theoretically, sorting my space out is something that makes me feel satisfied. But not truly happy.
For me, what makes a Happy Home is:
cushions on the floor, kids bouncing on the sofa;
our Christmas Tree (entirely decorated by the babes this year) twinkling in the fireplace, because we don’t have anywhere else to put it;
the kettle boiling, because a cuppa always saves the day;
the sound of keys in the door, heavy footsteps and cries of ‘Daddy’s home’;
those rare but unbelievably precious moments of brotherly bonding…
HANDS UP FOR HAPPY HOMES
We’re promoting the for Happy Homes, a crucial ActionAid project in Bangladesh that offers shelter to homeless girls and keeps them from a life on the streets. If they don’t get enough funding, this organisation is facing closure this Christmas. ActionAid wants to raise £116,212 to keep Happy Homes open for another year.
Please think about supporting this cause or at least share it with your networks. Here’s a powerful video that will tell you more about why Happy Homes deserves a helping hand!
