Sun-kissed shoulders and salty kisses, the melody of waves that come back time and time again to caress the shore like a lover separated for too long, mermaid dreaming in an everyday world… The sea calls out to my soul, like a siren to a sailor. It is these things that heal me.

It has been a time of great sadness for myself and  for a family so very close to my heart. The reality of the last month (and a little bit more) has been something very difficult to come to terms with. At times it felt as though we were all players in a very bizarre hand that had been dealt by fate. Other times, the days and the things we found ourselves doing, became so surreal, it was a task just to separate the real from the random.

The mind is a funny thing. It finds ways to compartmentalise  things our hearts are not yet ready to face. But the human spirit? The human spirit is something of great wonder. It is this spirit that shows itself in times of tragedy. It is this spirit that fuels the will to triumphs over adversity. And this spirit that dwells so strong inside some of us,  that it is able to reignite our faith in humanity. When we are little we grow up believing that the world is good and that there are heroes that live among us. As we grow up we realize that some of the world is not good and that heroes maybe only exist in fairy tales. Then something like this happens and my faith in humanity is restored. Heroes do live among us. Everyday, real-life heroes.

When we buy in to life (like we have a choice right?) we, like with most things, don’t always see the t’s&c’s. There are going to be tough times. There are going to be so many tears and so many days that your heart breaks so bad, you wonder if you will EVER be able to put it back together again. But somehow you do. Somehow you stand up, after being knocked out cold, and forge forward into the future like the warrior that you are. You go to the place that heals you and you emerge galvanised and ready to battle.

I have been inspired beyond words by these incredible people I am lucky enough to call friends. They have faced the darkness and through it all have remained the shining beacons of love, light and inspiration that they have always, and will always be to those of us who get to share life with them.

I dedicate this post to The Bow Wow Girls & their families, and Lance & the fur-babies. Blaze on you incredibles. This legacy will be great.

In parting I challenge all of you reading this, to promise me you will never forget. Promise me you will always, always love life. That you will wake up every morning grateful that you were blessed with another whole day to get out there and make a difference. To make your dreams come true. To get one step closer to your destiny. Promise me you will be happy. That you’ll always be a little crazy. And that you will always be you and believe in the power there is in that. Life is such an incredible adventure. Don’t you dare waste one second of it!

Tash xxx