I've been away and am now returned! The skiing break was much-needed, as ever, perspective was delivered in a hefty dose as soon as we settled into a new environment. We stayed in an old Alpine farmhouse; somewhere we have been to many times before, but on this occasion with a great group of friends and all of our children. I was different to our normal holiday; many times we have travelled with family and friends, but then the children were much younger and there were babies and toddlers who dictated the pace. This time it was a gaggle of children over seven and up to twelve, so a little pack of growing self-sufficiency. Seeing them interact reminded me so much of my childhood spent holidaying with my Danish cousins, all of us a similar age and left to our own devices whilst the adults had long meals in the evenings.
Staying in the mountains is always wonderful - there was so much snow it almost meant we couldn't ski some days. But then we just chilled out and drank tea, ate cake and it all worked out.
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via supply paper |
What I do know is that the advice of friends has been hugely important to me. I place great value in the knowledge that people who know me well know when I am not myself. I use them as my barometer. It takes a really long time to make a good, trusted friend but when you have, it makes all the difference. They help to push me forward.