Little Help from …………..

When friends and family support…..

Children are hard. They’re hard to work with, are extremely stubborn over nothing at times but ultimately, are hard to stop loving. The last few months have been huge for our family. Hubby has been sick with some serious progressions happening with his disease (that will need its own post!). We had in the space of two months five trips to Royal Brisbane Hospital. Oh and these weren’t in and out over nighter style stays either. While all this was happening I was attempting to teach full-time remotely (cause he had to fall sick when the pandemic struck) and teach and care for our children.

So how did I do it all? What saved me from utter despair? And how the feck did I not completely lose it and take all my hurt and frustrations out on my children? Well people one simple answer……….friends and family. When the chips are down you should be able to rely on friends and family.

Now I know that sometimes family or friends aren’t or are unable to be there. There are members of our family that we can’t rely on. Is it sad? Yeah, it is. There were friends who we realised weren’t friends as well. I’m also not talking about ‘friends’ that are sitting on your social media platforms. I’m talking true to the core, ridgy didge friends. During Hubby’s sickness we discovered how amazing and true our friends and family are.

We had family take our full on, wild boys for a full weekend. Including the feat of feeding teenage boys. Sometimes our boys just wanted to stay at home. Yes we left them home to fend for themselves. Their independence and confidence soared each time. Resilience in my children is high and they are continuing to build the bedrock of our family. I loved that my boys were confident to invite family and friends (not fellow teenage friends either) out for home cooked roast dinners. Yup, you heard right. Fourteen year old’s cooking roast dinners.

My Husband has always stated that it takes a village to raise a child. I am so proud and grateful that we have a true village. A village that includes people who I consider to be extension of my family even though they are not blood. These people offered help, not lip service help. They checked on my boys, fed my boys, talked with my boys and involved my boys in all manner of activities. I can never say thank you enough to those special people. All I can do is hope that I pay it forward.