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Tagged: Wales

Aug 16

Living Life with Joy – an update

You might recall last week I posted here about how sanitised my life can be, how I don’t appear to have the ability to feel free or uninhibited, and I set out to make some changes with that in mind so here is a short update

I’ve eaten ice cream every day – not a deal breaker for most but when you are as buttoned up about eating as I am then trust me this is wild
I’ve been naughty – a lot – lets leave that one there…
I wore a bikini and let someone take photos of me in said bikini – again not much to the uninitiated but for a girl who was size 22 this time 2 years ago that’s a big deal
I had a go on a ski biscuit – a massive inflatable that you sit in that gets whizzed at breakneck speed behind a boat
I laughed out loud fully and with all my heart – A LOT
I flashed my husband
I dug sandcastles with Little Miss and wasn’t at all precious about her jumping all over them – again doesn’t sound like much but when you have older children its dead easy to let them just get on and do it with the younger ones
I jumped in and swam off the boat to the beach – meandered down the beach to get ice creams, wandered back and then swam back to the boat – again would previously have been so body inhibited I would NEVER have done that – any of it

So there you have it – not bad for a week at this ‘Living Life with Joy’ lark eh?

I’m not done yet and I have to tell you my husband certainly is NOT complaining!

So here is photographic evidence if it were needed – well of some of it – I seriously cant believe I’m posting these on the blog – but its all part of the living with joy manifesto

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Posted in August 2011 boat llanbedrog Llyn Wales

Aug 04

Living Life with Joy

Today I watched as my utterly adorable, completely mischievous youngest daughter launched herself from person to person, flinging herself at them for hugs and kisses or ‘uggies an wisses’ as she would say.

She beamed from the inside out, face open and full of expression, eyes shining and full of naughtiness, smile wide and laughter bellying out. it really was a joy and it just struck me how she just lives her life with such utter glee and abject misery and not much in between.

She is 2 so these extremes are par for the course, she is either being dragged down from the ceiling with happiness or devastated in the pits of despair. she laughs like she heard the funniest joke and cries like someone in pain

It struck me as it seems as we grow up that becomes something that we lose, we learn, to share, to adapt, to temper our emotions, follow social constructs, rules, socially acceptable behaviour, its that which stops us from having a tantrum in the supermarket when they don’t have our favourite brand of chocolate in stock, but does it also remove or reduce the ability to experience pure joy, and even perhaps make us feel guilty when we do?

I can count on my hands the number of times this year that I have laughed and felt free and uninhibited, and that’s not because I’m particularly miserable or hard done to, quite the opposite, but I rarely feel that utter joy that I saw today, and that feels like a shame to me.

So I’m going to make an concerted effect this summer to live my life with joy, I certainly have the ability to feel abject misery so it seems only fair to balance the scales and have some unadulterated fun. The sort where I don’t have to wonder what someone else thinks of me, or what I look like doing it, or that I might be breaking some kind of health and safety guidelines. I’m going all out and getting me some fun.

Stand by… I will be reporting back what it feels like to laugh out loud and not worry that I’m too loud, or who is looking, I shall be getting face painted and sung to and climbing rock walls without worrying how big my arse looks in a harness, swimming in the sea without worrying if my knockers are falling out my top… I’m going to learn to wakeboard and sail and laugh/choke when I swallow a lung full of water…

Might have a brew first though eh? its a bit knackering thinking of all the ways I can lead a joyful summer…

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Posted in August 2011 emma summer Wales

Jul 18

A Lovely Aberdaron Day – A Photo Blog

Aberdaron is one of my favourite places

Its just stunning and has a brilliant energy to it – yes I know that sounds new age but it honestly feels a little bit magical

Its equally amazing in the Winter when its all big rollers and white horses and windswept walks – if you are ever in North Wales – just go – you wont regret it