So today is Valentines Day. A dreaded day for most if you’re single like me. But hey why be salty about it.
Today I decided to have fun with it. Today I was thankful for what I have and not for what was missing. Today I decided it would be about Love and what that really means in its truest essence.
It is no secret that there is no-one I love more on this planet than my son, and the day he was born I learnt what it really means to love and be loved. Even if I had a special someone that wouldn’t change. So today I took advantage of this calendar day to make sure he knows he is loved and cared about. After all it is important that children know they are loved and that love fuels everything you do for them, even the discipline.
Today I left little reminders all around our home for my son to have fun finding with a little bag of his favourite things. Every year we have the best fun handing out roses to men and women asking them to pass the love on to the next person they see, or for that special loved one at home. I hope my son learns through this memory, the magic of just how easy it really is to make someones day and that these small acts of kindness really are your super power.
Valentines day is not just for the lovers, the teenage crushes and the married. It’s for the Mothers who love all year round. It is for the Grandparents who have loved and raised two generations or more. And most of all it is for our children who remind us what Love really is.
For the skeptics who say “they don’t celebrate Valentines Day.” “Love is for everyday.” I agree, so I ask, why miss one day out of the 365 to show you care? So this Valentines day use your super powers people and don’t forget to tell those you hold dearest to you, just how much you love them.
And if I see anymore salty valentines day memes from singletons I am going to personally inbox you and tell you I LOVE YOU. Skeptics need love to.
Does anyone else sign their children up for swimming classes just to get half an hour to themselves?
Seems legit right?
But it’s not how I imagined it. I had these big plans of treating myself to expensive coffee. Using my minutes wisely on my Mac to steal some precious time to type up at least 400 words to add to my children’s book, without the constant echo of ”muuuuummy I’m bored” bellowing from each corner of my home.
It seems these 30 little minutes have revealed my desperation and need for solitude….
I’m just here wondering…
Does anyone else lock themselves in a cubicle and hide while their children swim?
In a desperate attempt to avoid all mummy talk, about cake sales and the conversations of first time mummies comparing the specs of their Maxi Cosy and Quinny pushchairs?
I have the added urge for the earth to swallow me up when a swarm of little budding junior paparazzi flock around me gazing at me with innocent wonder and questions for me and their mummies about “why why why is she such a tiny mummy?”
Part of me wished I had my book finally published to hand over to my little fans so I could cooly candy slide away.
Slightly befuddled I instead planned my escape route before I had to witness the embarrassed face of mothers trying to conjure up a legit age appropriate answer.
Given there were more junior papz in the cafe and pool side, I figured a cubicle would grant me the instant peace I craved. 😅
Honestly, I’m not an arsehole. I am usually quite welcoming to children’s curiosity. I mean after all, that is what’s driving me to write a Children’s book. But after a shit nights sleep and a day of endless questions from my own inquisitive 6 yr old, ranging from “how many legs do woodlice have” to “where does poo come from” – I just want to be in a cubicle by myself, having a photo shoot to convince myself I’ve still got it 💅🏻
To conclude, my embarrassing selfies evidently scream – I need a good nights sleep, but the wink I received from a very hot lifeguard on my way out reassures me that I may indeed still be one hot mumma, despite feeling utterly depleted.
I whole heartedly recommend mums take 30 minutes ‘time out’ for themselves in a cubicle, once a week. Use it as a chance to be brutally honest with yourself…
*You need more sleep
*Be kinder to yourself
*You are doing one of the hardest jobs in the world and you’re doing a great job!
Someone once told me, “to be great you have to sit amongst the greatest”.
Does sitting, and rubbing shoulders with one of the greatest count? For me, just taking a picture beside the great Champ, was enough.
As Heavy Weight Champ Anthony Joshua, tours the UK with his new title for an interview with former boxer Johnny Nelson – who I am to turn down tickets to witness an interview with the man himself.
I know what you’re thinking….we look well suited right? Like a pair of odd socks thrown together in haste but then boff, by no means of prediction, they collab, complimenting each other nicely, catching your eyes only to draw you further in with intrigue, lol. Me and AJ baby.
All jokes, and fantasies aside there is no mistaking Anthony Joshua is that guy right now and he is making Headlines for all the right reasons.
Late April, we saw our young lion; one of the youngest Heavy weight boxers in fact, fight the Legendary Heavy Weight; Wladimir Klitschko. It was Klitschko’s 29th world title fight and AJ’s 19th,(PAUSE) fight. With that being said, no doubt the tension was felt in Wembley Arena. With a crowd of 90,000 it was the biggest crowd fight in 90 years to be had in the history of British Heavy Weight boxing. So tension seems somewhat of an under statement.
Despite all odds, and after a rocky 6th round where we saw AJ go down, our British Gold medalist came back stronger – sending Klitschko to the canvas in the 11th round and bagging himself the Heavy Weight title.
I have a funny feeling this will be an iconic shot in years to come.
Anthony Joshua’s success has been absolutely phenomenal to witness over the past decade. From climbing the ranks within amateur boxing, bagging the Gold medal in 2012 for our team GB, to becoming the Worlds Heavy Weight champion; least not we forget the fight where he put cocky Charles Martin on his arse inside two rounds. Unforgettable. It has been an absolute pleasure to watch this young Watford boy bless our screens with his on-going success, his humbleness that comes with it and exemplary sportsmanship.
AJ’s success means different things to different people. But for me personally as a single mother to a young boy growing up in London, he gives me HOPE. He’s not just the World’s Champion but the People’s Champion.
AJ is a testament to the power of sport, strong will & self-belief. AJ’s trainer, Rob Mc Cracken said it himself, “Anthony’s greatest strength is his belief”.
Now, I am no expert when it comes to boxing, or any sport for that matter. But there’s no doubting that Sport has proven itself to be a good omen time and time again. Throughout history we have seen sport quite literally save lives. Many athletes like AJ, have what some might call a turbulent backing story before they excelled in sport. On a larger scale we’ve read how sport played a positive influence in the dismantlement of the African apartheid. Least not we forget how the Olympics have played a pinnacle role in empowering women and disabled athletics all over the world. With the Paralympics shining light on peoples abilities and sheer resilience, as opposed to our limitations.
The magic not only shines light on the athelete’s themselves, but it sprinkles new opinion amongst everyday people like you and me. Reminding us just how strong, fast and resilient our bodies can be. Even in the face of adversity. Totally smashing the boundaries of what is humanly possible. Since the Olympics came to my neck of the woods in 2012, I have become a big fan of sport and the magic and honour it bestows.
So, what did I make of the Interview with Anthony Joshua…
Well, honestly if it were me interviewing AJ I would have delved more deeply to know more about the man behind the belt. I’m no athlete but I have come to understand that in order to be successful in any given forte, there must be sacrifices. You absolutely have to be willing to give something up in order to move forward. I would have been interested to know what sacrifices AJ had to make on his path to success, and any transferable pearls of wisdom he could offer anyone on their personal journey to empowerment.
Here is a list of questions I personally would have been dying to ask: feel free to comment your burning questions for the Champ below. You never know I might just get to interview the Champ myself one day.
Questions for AJ
1. What did you have to let go of on your journey towards success?
2. What advice would you give someone else who is on their road to success athletically or otherwise?
3. Have you always believed in yourself, or was there a moment for you where it just clicked?
4. What do you like to do on your days off?
5. What keeps you grounded as a person?
6. Do you think you can use Boxing to benefit society in some way? If so how?
7. Are you single and ready to mingle??? Jheez you can’t blame a girl for trying!
No doubt this would literally have been his reaction to question 7….
That reminds me, this is one thing I really admire about AJ. He’s always smiling and laughing with a kind of innocence about him. The best bits from the interview were when AJ made light hearted humour when asked what happened in the sixth round when he fell to the canvas after taking a heavy blow? Instead of taking the question defensively, AJ chuckled and said “it was like, you know when you’re playing street fighter and your energy bar goes lower and lower, that was me.”
AJ’s reference to the old school game, Street Fighter instantly humoured the inner child of every 80’s/90’s baby in the room.
AJ’s will, his belief, his laughter and contagious smile make him a Champ. I pray he never looses that about him in the face of all the fame and fortune.
As for me I am athletically challenged lol, so I will instead continue to sport my writing skills. One of my reflections on my personal quest to success is to be mindful of my circle, to be the best I need to read the best, and be around some of the best influential writers of our time.
Lastly, and no less importantly – to follow my heart- be in tune. Whatever makes your heart flutter, follow it, it might just be your calling. And what ever challenges you, grab it. It might just be what you need to grow you.
Much can be learnt from Anthony Joshua’s self belief. Ability and support networks can only carry you so far. Belief in yourself is what really takes us the extra mile.
So until next time, keep believing in yourself my beautiful bloggers. I believe a champion lies within us all. All we really need to do is push and apply ourselves in alignment with our callings.
I sense some of AJ’s star dust might have rubbed off on me and my self-belief. Anything is possible. And so I am affirm today I will earn my right to interview Mr Joshua one day soon.
Ashe 🙏🏼
My keyboard and I are tight, we have become the best of friends. It’s currently 21:41pm, the house is quiet, my son is fast asleep and I reach for comfort in my lap. For some that would imply their fluffy cat, a consoling partner, or a bag of Dorito’s. But for me, I find comfort in my keyboard. Knowing that these little black letters hold the key to my writing career.
As a freelance writer and aspiring author, it’s any wonder why I haven’t jumped at the chance to start a blog before. I mean it goes with the territory right? I’ve always fancied myself as a bit of a blogging superstar and countless times my friends have urged me to start one, but my response has always been, “who even reads blogs these days? And why would anyone be interested in mine?”
Well, according to Worldometers there are over 42,000,000 blogs on WordPress alone, and with approximately 329 million people viewing blogs per day, surely one of you might relate to mine, please God!
The opportunities are endless it seems, with breakthroughs like Huffington Post making way in 2012. Social media has since proven to be somewhat of a marketing Mecca for bloggers, streaming their content more fluidly than ever before to a wider audience, not to mention the opportunities it creates for online writers. How did I ever overlook this little powerful tool?! Slap-self!
Now all I have to do is make myself sound interesting…..hmmm, (‘just be yourself’ screams from my core, while my ego chuckles ‘this will be a hard task your life is super dull’) fuck it, stick the kettle on and let’s just go with it.
Allow me to Introduce myself,
My name is Michelle, a Londoner and proud mother to the most amazing six year old boy.
I have a condition known as Pseuadoachondroplasia, which is just a fancy way of saying I have restricted growth. I’m a dwarf basically, which is the most mainstream way to describe it. God I hate that word. Like, when I think of a Dwarf it just brings images of some kind of mythical creature to mind. We are so behind as Brits, like we don’t even realise how offensive we are with our language. In the States they refer to us as ‘little people’, which isn’t perfect by any means but it carries much less offence than the words ‘dwarf’ or ‘midget’. Just two words that are thrown around to loosely in my opinion. If in doubt about what to call me now, Michelle will be absolutely fine.
Some of you may remember my son and I from a BBC THREE documentary called ‘A Special Kind of Mum. Or an article I wrote prior to this, which you are welcome to read by clicking the link below.
So, I am a full time mum by day, and freelance writer by night, writing articles and helping my clients with CV’S, business plans and proposals in between. How does she do it, some may say. Well, time is often the enemy, but I have come to realise there are beautiful little hidden minutes to steal throughout the day that help get shit done. Smartphones and iPads are heaven sent for any writer on the move.
A Love for Writing
I have always had a love for writing for as long as I can remember. Enid Blyton’s Famous Five stories got me through a rocky childhood. My love for English Literature grew further in secondary school. It came so natural to me, that I didn’t even acknowledge the writer in me. I studied Psychology and International Politics at Uni. My choices couldn’t have been further from my calling, which is probably why I didn’t enjoy my studies as much as I had expected. But eventually I found my way back in 2010, through almost a divine intervention of two media courses; one being Catch22. My love and skill for writing grew, the penny finally dropped. This is what I want to do. And after entering a writer’s competition with The Guardian I bagged myself a day at their headquarters to meet their Editors. After pitching an idea, I was published and I am now honoured to say I am a contributor to The Guardian. I was finally aligned.
Motherhood took me on another journey, and then an opportunity to work on a project for the DFE presented itself. I took three years out to work within local authorities to influence and implement government policy for Care-leavers. Which is another thing I am very passionate about. Since the Project ended, my calling returned and I gravitated back to writing, going officially self employed as a freelance writer this year. But this time with a burning desire to write a Children’s Book. I’m Back.
Bored yet?
Crap, this is starting to sound like a CV! I am so used to writing them for my clients, that even my blog is beginning to sound like one!
If you’re still with me basically, my raison d’être for this blog is to take you on a journey. Firstly, I would like you to get to know me as a writer, but also I would like to use this blog as a way of inviting you all on my personal journey to share with you the process of how I intend to bring my Children’s book and writing career to fruition. I hope my blogs may be of some value to my readers.
Torn Pages 