Love is all around

Ah hello, long time, no post!

How are you?

We have been soaking up a week with our brother-in-law who has been over to see us from his home in St. Augustine in Florida, and basking in the afterglow of our lovely lovely friends wedding down in Brighton at the weekend. Four days of staying in hotels with a large bunch of old pals, happy happy people, glad to be together.

Now when I say happy happy, I don't mean we are all walking around in a delirium all the time. Or that sad stuff doesn't happen to any of us. That we don't have our own heartbreaks and tragedies. Of course not. But for me, such occasions are magic times.

Four days of hugging and smiling, laughing and drinking are just what the doctor ordered, for me, anyway! But it goes deeper than that.

I am lucky enough to have some of the most fantastic friends you could ever wish for. Joyful. Forgiving. Hedonistic. Loving. Creative. Funny!

And for me, life doesn't get much better than enjoying my crazy brood and having some time out with old pals to share secrets, shed tears, hug and dance like loons, and simply appreciate our brief time on this planet together. We hold each other tightly and very loosely at the same time. We dance in and out of each others lives rather than cling to one another. We are very close, but with BIG breathing spaces between us.

I was talking to one friend about home education at the weekend and about what kids need to know in life. He laid it out very simply.

Keep a smile on your face and be nice to everyone.

And that is the plain truth, condensed into those 11 magic words.

I was going to do a 'debating whether to homeschool or not' post for mrs Dreaming Aloud, but I think she has answered that question for herself.

All our kids need, all any of us needs, really, is love. Everything, EVERYTHING else is fairly inconsequential....

Love conquers all things.