If there is one thing I have learnt in life it’s the harsh reality that nothing ever goes to plan.

When I was a little girl I had this idealistic plan in my head. The whole marriage, 2 children, ‘perfect family life’. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not ungrateful for what I’ve got and I have a wonderful marriage to my amazing husband. I just didn’t imagine that I would have to have a funeral for one of my babies, that I would fall in love with someone who already had a child and that I would end up disabled after my second birth.

For the record I love my Step Son with everything I have, I have helped raise him since he was 2 years old. We have a bond like no other and for that I am so grateful. He’s a wonderful boy and I am proud and grateful to have him as my Step Son, or as a friend refers to her Step Daughter as ‘my bonus son’! However, being a Step Mum hasn’t been without it’s difficulties over the years. That’s the part that wasn’t in my plan. The forever struggles of being a Step Mum, I don’t want to say any more as it’s personal but if you know you know.

I envisaged a career as well as being a Mum. I thought I could have it all and be great at it all, however life has a habit of throwing curve balls so to speak and you have to be ready to catch them.

I might not be working in my field of study right now but I did get my degree and worked for 15 years overall in Cardiology, Respiratory and Sleep. That’s something that no one can take away from me. If you didn’t know I am a qualified clinical physiologist specialising in respiratory and sleep.

I also thought I would be a ‘Pintrest Mum’ but it turns out being a Mum is a lot harder than it looks!! Who would have thought!!! I mean aint no one got the time, ability or energy to cook from scratch every day, organise fun activities for the family every day, planned trips as well as keeping the house clean, tidy and washing done and put away!!!! (Shit I’m exhausted just reading about it all!!)

I also didn’t plan to be disabled and need help off my husband to get dressed some days!! However it is what it is. I hate that I’m disabled I won’t lie. It’s robbed me of so much, however I have gained things too. Maybe I’ll chat more about it on another blog. However basically being disabled comes with challenges as well, it’s a full time job in itself just managing everything that comes with it;

Read these about pain

Meditate every day

Take time for you

Manage your stress

Pace yourself

Try and walk every day but not too much

Exercise every day……

This is everything that’s expected of me along with all the other stuff that comes with life as mentioned earlier with the cooking etc. Not to mention keeping up with your kids social calendar and events too. I’m yet to add in the whole school aspect yet with my youngest but that’s only a few months away now.

My point is (after babbling on for a while!!!!) life might not be turning out the way you planned, it might be harder than you thought. Life might be taking a different direction to what you had planned but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t going to awesome. Yes it might be hard and yes you might get loads of curve balls………but surely the curve balls just lead to better things in the end?

What do you think?

Much Love

Mrs Shep