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“ My ability to see the positive in every situation is irritating even to me at times !”
Baby Alive doll she kept watching YouTube videos of . I ’ m so glad she dressed up in her Christmas hat and visited friends , delivering cards and presents . Because this year I ’ ve got the Christmas that part of me was wishing for last year , where I also get to sit down and relax and enjoy the festivities .
I wish I didn ’ t . I wish Daisy was still here to sweep me up ( and wear me out ) in her festive enthusiasm . Of course , like many carers , I will make the best of it . But sometimes we lose at the Glad Game and that ’ s totally OK . 99 % of the time I am a Pollyanna . In fact , my ability to see the positive in every situation is irritating even to me at times . However for the remaining 1 % of the time I want to strangle Pollyanna . She can take a running jump .
If you find yourself struggling to think positively , here are some tips which I ’ ve found useful :
Steph ’ s tips for positive thinking :
1 . It ’ s not the cards you ’ ve got , it ’ s how you play them
My life was never going to be entirely predictable but as Andy always said , it is what it is : it ’ s how you respond that makes the difference . For me , that ’ s about focusing on what we have , not what we don ’ t have .
2 . Do things for you
As well as writing and live music , I love running – it keeps me sane and allows me to eat cake . I have run several marathons and an Ultra marathon and have raised around £ 10,000 for our hospice in the process . I ’ m branching out into open water swimming and cycling ... Some call it a midlife crisis , I call it an alternative to prozac !
3 . Upbeat but real
I ’ d always been optimistic and upbeat about Daisy ’ s health but Andy and I always chose to be very open about what was going on with Daisy and to share her story , good and bad because we felt it was important for people to have a window into a world that they probably knew nothing about .
4 . Make it happen
This has become a mantra for how I try to live my life : deciding what I want to happen , and doing everything within my power to make it so . I wanted to be the best mum I could be for Daisy , I wanted to make sure that our other children did not miss out on childhood , I wanted to ensure our marriage survived .
Was this in the plan ?
Steph ’ s book Was This in the Plan ? is published by Hashtag Press , and available to buy or download on Amazon .
Reader reviews :
“ Wow . What a lady . Proof that a positive attitude and a glass-halffull attitude can triumph over the greatest adversity . A heartbreaking but uplifting memoir .”
“ I read this book in one sitting . It had me laughing out loud and made made me cry but most of all it reminded me to seize the day and enjoy the journey .”
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