"You want the moon?"

One of my favourite movie quotes is the above from George Bailey in 'It's a Wonderful Life'. I rarely like romance films but this one got me so much that I have made two prints of the quote for my bedroom wall and have a moon with a lasso around it tattooed on me.

When you're on dating sites you get asked a lot what you're looking for. I worked out a while ago that it doesn't matter what you say, no one is interested.

I think when you're single for so long, even if that is broken up by a year long relationship which ends with total disrespect despite...and I can say this with full confidence, me being an amazing girlfriend, you do start to question where YOU are or have been going wrong.

Do you want the impossible? Are you expecting too much?

I've always thought I was quite laid back. I've never expected a relationship status change on date 2, a diamond on date 3 and a pregnancy test on date 4.
In fact marriage and children have never been anything I've expected or made anyone feel pressure about.

I want to go into 2020 with some kind of clear vision I guess. (lol at a 2020 vision pun I won't make).

I'm at the point where I want a relationship, but I don't want the pointless ego boosting swiping on Tinder and Bumble. The awkward first messages, the "I can just come to yours" instead of an actual first date.

George, I don't want the moon.

I want someone who is proud of me, proud to be with me. Proud to show me off, as I would be of them.
Someone who wants to shout to the world "Look at her!"

I want someone who checks in on me during the day. Not because they don't trust me, but to see how I am. Or just to send a message with a simple heart on it, to let me know I was on their mind.

I want someone who see's the good in me. Who can see what I have to give and will let me give it.

I want someone who will let me love them hard (but not to a "Joe Goldberg" level)

I want someone who will nap with me...or will let me nap on them...or who will nap on me. Either way...naps are important.

I want someone who is willing to see and understand everything about me. About who I am.

I want someone who will look for me in a crowded room.

I want someone who wants to spend as much time as possible with me.

I want someone who wants to make memories with me. However small and simple they are.

I want someone who let's me be me, but accepts that when I am yours I am YOURS and that I am fiercely loyal (f**k you Georgia Steel).

I want someone who will laugh with me...or at me.

I want someone who will look at me with love, admiration and pride.

I want someone who can accept my flaws and not see past them, but can work with me on them.

I want someone to hold me accountable.

I want someone who, when they hold me in their arms, feels like the right fit. Where nothing feels out of place or wrong or awkward.

I want to be someones priority. I've never been that, not even when I was married.

I want someone to be part of a team with, a team where we can make each other happy.

I want someone to make me feel special. Someone who I can make feel special.

I just want someone to just love me. No matter what. 

Quote from 'The Fault in Our Stars'.

2019: THE FINAL QUARTER REVIEW

It always feels like starting a blog project is such a big commitment. There have been various that I have started or have wanted to start but then never followed through with.
In March I decided that instead of writing monthly update posts, to instead write "Quarter Reviews".
I've really enjoyed doing it and it's been lovely looking back over a 3 month period and is definitely something I will continue into next year.

So the last 3 months have just been....wonderful. It's so nice to be able to look back and smile and to have so many lovely, happy memories.

I got my first speeding ticket...not a happy memory. And also had a rather 'meh' moment due to a smear test result and biopsy coming back abnormal but the positive from this....I didn't feel the anxiety and fear I once would have done. I surprised myself and other than one 10 minute breakdown when I first got the results I then went through the biopsy and the cell removal procedure with very little worries.
The results came back that there was something there but caught in time so I'm grateful, SO grateful for smear tests.

My absolute highlights and the top top best bits have definitely been seeing James Arthur at the Apollo and seeing Dermot Kennedy at the UEA in Norwich. I'd been looking forward to seeing them both for so long and they didn't disappoint. In fact seeing James Arthur made me like him even more!
Music has been such a big part of my life, well always really, but especially this year and as a result these two 'gigs' (I got in trouble for calling them concerts...only old people call them concerts now) were super special and a bit thing for me.

December was busy with various Christmas social things with work which meant staying in Watford on 3 occasions.
The first time, I came home and just felt so depressed. To the point I went to my mums house to take her to the bus station when she went to visit my brother and I just broke down.
Working in Watford has been such an amazing experience this year, and a big part of that is down to the people who work there and who I would like to consider friends and I guess because I am a loser I come home and miss being around them. Even 5 minutes in a office with them can bring my mood up so high.
That feeling of being accepted by people who you look up to, who are influential and just all round amazing people is so overwhelming to me.

Another high from the last 3 months was feeling a lot more confident in who I am, choices I make, how I should, or shouldn't, be treated and actually feeling strong enough to walk away from situations that I don't want to be a part of. And not being afraid to say "I deserve better".

I guess I didn't really want to end the year single BUT I've spent a lot of the year reflecting on what I want, who I want, and what is important to me. Maybe it's something I'll focus on next year. Maybe it isn't?

I will see in the New Year with my children and to me that ends the final quarter perfectly.

November 2019 | Instagrammed

She thought, "If I close my eyes I can't cry"

She laid on her bed, her pillow arranged in such a way that she could cuddle it for comfort.
Curtains pulled closed.
The world shut out.
She felt them start, brewing away. The warmth and the tingle rising.

She thought...
"If I close my eyes they won't appear"
"If I close my eyes they won't fall"
"If I close my eyes, I can't cry"

She closed her eyes gently at first, then tighter. Head buried in the pillow as extra protection.

The tears couldn't break through. And with those under control, all she had to do was breathe.
Breathe.
Breathe.
That's it. That's all she had to do.
Then she would be ok.

Calm, so she thought, she kept her eyes closed.
"If I sleep this will all go away"
"If I sleep I won't feel this anymore"

Hearing a noise, she opened her eyes.
And then she realised, you can cry with your eyes shut.
One. Two. Three. Four.
Heavy, warm tears fell from her eyes and down her face, onto the pillow.
Taking her by surprise.
She left her eyes slightly open, letting the remaining tears roll down her cheeks, no longer holding them in.

Knowing there was nothing to comfort her she slowly closed her eyes.
"If I sleep this will all go away"
"I can't cry if I sleep".

I'm not the girl you fall in love with

I remember being sat on Yarmouth beach. Ok Yarmouth has a negative image sometimes but you know what, the beach is beautiful and first thing in the morning, with no one around on a sunny, calm day, it is really lovely.
I'd met the guy I was seeing on the beach. Yarmouth was between where we both lived and we stole an hour or 2 before I started the later shift at work.
I remember feeling quite content, there was drama on his side so it wasn't ever going to be an easy relationship but I was willing to give it a go.
It'd been almost 2 years of being single and I felt ready to give a relationship a go. It was still a novelty to have someone interested in me.
As we sat cuddled on the sand and looked out to sea he told me he loved me. It was soon into the "relationship" but I don't think you can truly determine whether it's too early to love or not. It's not something you have the choice to feel.

Fast forward 3 or 4 weeks and something didn't feel right. The difficulties of the "relationship" were all becoming a bit much. To the point where I said to him, over Facebook messenger of all places, during another conversation about his ex and how tricky things were, that he didn't have to see me anymore if he didn't want to.
"I don't think I do". Was his response.
A coward for not telling me in the first place.
And it was fine. I would have walked away quietly. Until he said "I tried to love you, Lauren".

I didn't need him to tell me he loved me in the first place. I didn't need him to try to love me.
But it was still a punch in the stomach.
Almost the verification that yes, I am not worth love. I am not worth respect.
It was almost confirmation that I was right all along, I wasn't worth a relationship. Just to be there when someone needed me.

I got over it.

I then met someone 5 months later. And this time, during a phone call, he accidentally told me he loved me. And it felt like the hole left of not being loved by my husband and then of not being loved by the guy on the beach, had been filled and patched up.
We had a great year and 3 months together. It had its ups and downs (it seems I tend to go for men who have issues with their ex and need fixing in some shape or form!).
Then all of a sudden.
Nothing.
Ghosted by someone you are in a relationship is worse than being ghosted by a potential on a dating site. Thankfully I knew something was up and was expecting it, again a coward for not being able to break up despite me asking him a couple of times if he was fully in the relationship.
But, another time, proof that I am not worth love. Not worth respect.

And I don't worry about that. I never have. I've only ever worried about my own feelings. Not anyone elses because I know I'm not the girl people have feelings for or fall in love with.
I've accepted it. And that's it. It's ok.

Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have someone feel like that for me.
For me to be that person who someone thinks about a lot. To have someone have that moment when they feel, for the first time, that they love me.
To not be called amazing, brave, funny, cute, kind, honest, or cool as a way of avoiding that that's all I ever am and all I ever will be.
The one who is there for a bit. But not for long.
A secret friend.

I spent so long wondering how I can change myself to be that person.
The one worthy of love.
And now I've realised that it's just not who I am supposed to be.

I guess it's hard in some ways because naturally I am a person who loves a lot. I love my friends and people I work with and I'm not afraid to say it. Those moments when you just can't help but to talk to someone or laugh with someone...not romantically...but on a friendship level and just say "awww I love you". I love those moments. I have those moments with people I work with and I find it important to let those feelings out. To let people know.
And I feel jealous sometimes I guess. That those people are worthy of those feelings. They are good enough to have someone feel that of them.

My children love me. My mum loves me. And I know that.
But for anyone else.
I'm not the girl you fall in love with.
It's just not possible.

Cocktails and Chopsticks

Despite a ridiculous journey the afternoon/evening before (because of a missed turn off and ending up a bit too close to the centre of London rather than being in Watford) I'd had a relaxing nights sleep but I woke up in the hotel on Thursday morning feeling a mix of excitement and anxiety.
I've met and worked with some incredible people this year and headed to Watford for a meeting and team building day and was hit with the "I don't belong here" fear.
Soon enough I was sat in the meeting room feeling super lucky to be able to be involved and part of an amazing group, and lost the anxiety and gained more excitement for the day ahead. It's nice when you can genuinely think there isn't one person here I don't want to spend time with.

We went to the Escape Rooms in Watford which was challenging but so much fun and after a win from the girls we went for a drink whilst we waited for the mens team to finish. Las Iguanas "Happy Hour Cocktails" (which should really be happy hourS as it's all day and night!!) was the perfect way to celebrate!
Once the men joined us we enjoyed another drink, and a little winners gloat from me, before heading back to the hotel to quickly get ready for dinner.
We'd been sent the location for dinner, The Florist in Watford high street, a week previous and immediately I looked it up on Google and Instagram. Oh my goodness it looked INCREDIBLE! And actually maybe my lack of photos make me a failure at blogging and instagramming!
I'd had a look at the menu regularly in the week leading up and I was glad I did as there was so much to choose from and seeing as I am so indecisive I would never have been able to choose in 15-20 minutes once we'd sat down.

When we walked inside I realised how photos don't do it justice. It is SO beautiful. The details are so perfect, even little things like framed dried flowers on the walls, the perfect background for a photo and an old telephone box with flowers trailing in and around it.

Although I had pretty much decided on my food I did not pay enough attention to the cocktail menu and with so much to choose from decided in the end to get the waiter to choose one for me. Which I was really glad of in the end as he'd picked me a gin based cocktail with Elderflower and Cucumber. I wouldn't have opted for gin but it was so nice I was pleased I got him to pick it for me.

I don't think there was any point in the night when one of the ten of us wasn't laughing or smiling...or on a couple of occasions crying with laughter!
I soon wondered why on earth I felt so anxious in the morning when I was sat there having a heart to heart about my marriage breakdown, talking about motherhood, tattoos, various other conversations and then having a chopstick eating competition during mains and dessert. FYI I think eating sweet potato and aubergine Katsu curry with chopsticks is a lot easier than eating chicken Katsu curry with chopsticks. However, watching someone grabbing at chicken with chopsticks is highly entertaining, as is watching them have to eat every grain of rice with chopsticks also. There was a moment I wondered if I'd have to resort to licking the plate to get all of the rice off and thought twice about being so cocky.
However, nutella donuts are a lot easier to eat with chopsticks...although equally as entertaining when watching your component struggle when the donut filling is a bit too hot when it explodes in their mouth.

The food was amazing, to the point I could have quite easily have eaten everything on the menu or quite happily return every night to try out the whole menu!

When it came to the end of the night it was one of those "Oh" moments because I genuinely didn't want it to end.

On the drive home I felt so content. I'd woken up feeling really happy and realised that despite a tough year in certain ways, that actually I have had some amazing moments. Moments I'm so proud of and happy to have been part of and I felt this overwhelming feeling of being so lucky.
And on that drive home I booked in with my tattooist and the following day had a four leaf clover tattooed on my wrist.
A reminder of despite how tough life can be, I am lucky to be who I am and to get to have done the things I have done this year and have been lucky enough to be around people I would only ever have wished to be around.

Even now, a week and a half on, I miss it and wish I could go back and do the whole day all over again.

Reading Tarot and Oracle Cards

I got my first pack of Oracle Cards back in 2016 after a long time of being curious about how they worked and if I could use them.
I'd been confident within my faith for a year for that point and knew that Oracle cards were for me.
I've always worked well with them and now own 5 different packs. I have my certain ways of working with them and one thing I am proud of is that I've never felt the need to look up how to use them or how to read them.
For me, if the cards want me to work with them, they will show me and if my guides want me to work with the cards, then they will help me to connect and they will help me to understand what the cards mean and what they are telling me.

Last year I got my first pack of Tarot cards and recently was gifted a pack of Grimaud Marseille cards.
I find Tarot not so easy to connect with and definitely have a feeling of needing to work harder with them. Looking into it I found, and accepted that, Tarot cards are more structured compared to Oracle cards and have specific meanings, whereas with Oracle cards don't have a specific meaning and can be read in various ways.

Since being into cards I get a lot of questions about them or requests to read for other people and although I'm confident enough to do them for myself, I've never felt quite able to do them for other people.
For those who are curious, websites such as 7Tarot offer free readings and an insight into how Tarot works and the different options available.

The Gap in the Curtains

She welcomes the gap in the curtains. One she might usually huff at and, annoyed at herself for not closing them properly, will dramatically get out of bed to rearrange, tutting as she goes. 

She opens the windows slightly, unsure really of what she will be woken up to during the night or in the morning but for now the peacefulness is as welcome as the breeze of fresh air filling the room.

Everything else is dark and quiet. 

The light coming through the curtains from street lights, the noise of distant cars, reminding her that outside of these walls life is there. And she isn't alone. 

No matter how much she feels it. 

She isn't alone. 

After a while of feeling so sure and confident of herself she all of a sudden feels so overwhelmed. 

Consumed in thoughts of self doubt and "Why am I here?" "What am I doing?" and a resentment of "Why can't you see what I am capable of?" "Why can't you appreciate all I have to give?".

She looked in the bathroom mirror. The reflection of numerous tattoos, long black claw-like pointed fingernails, dark hair. A chubby girl. She liked it. She was happy (would rather not be chubby but she made herself this way and accepts it)

This is the shell. And as life goes on she isn't sure what this shell is supposed to look like. 

How it is supposed to be dressed. The colours it wears. The type of nails. The length of the hair. 

Everything. 

She has days when she can see herself and feel so content with "this is who I am!" but the echoes of previous voices of others and the words she has told and still tells herself make her crash down with self doubt. 

She looked again in the mirror. Wondering if the reflection of numerous tattoos, long black claw-like pointed fingernails, dark hair, is what holds her back. 

"Do other people not like this?" "What are they thinking of me?" 

Her only "friends" are work colleagues or her cats. And even then, she questions what they think about her and her worth (other than the cats. The cats definitely love her). 

She leaves work and goes home, exhausted by how much she analyses how someone looked at her, spoke to her. Their body language. "What are they thinking of me?!"

And hiding away feels like the only option. Be alone. Be away from everyone. That way. You won't feel those things. 

But loneliness becomes too much sometimes. 

She welcomes the gap in the curtains. The slightly open window. 

Her reminder that outside those walls. The world is continuing. 

As she will too.

October 2019 | Instagrammed