Thinking Gray

 “fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me” I’ve been thinking about trust this week. Like most people, I’ve lost trust in relationships, so I pre-empt this blog by saying I am speaking from experience. I get it. Why do I need to do that? Because what I have to say may not be taken well by those in the throes of wondering how they’ll ever regain trust. I certainly wouldn’t have enjoyed it.  The first thing we need to consider is whether or not trust is spontaneous . Does it ‘just happen’?  I don’t think so.  I think trust is one of those things we think ‘just happens’, but the reality is that it is chosen , or cultivated . We make a choice to trust (or not trust) people. We trust the strangers around us not to attack us, we trust Uber drivers to drive safely, we trust our friends to be kind, we trust our partners to be faithful… we may not be consciously aware of these choices, but every time we step out into the world among other p...

CANCER .   It’s a terrifying word. It’s a diagnosis that turns people’s lives upside down. The effects ripple through every facet of the sufferer’s life and the lives of their loved ones. My own family has experienced the devastating effects of terminal cancer in a loved one, and we will never really be whole again.  As horrible as this is, it’s not what I want to discuss today. Today I want to discuss survival , but not in the way you’d expect. This blog is inspired by a wonderful woman I know called J (who has given permission for me to tell her story). I met J online in a mums group that, honestly, saves my sanity. They are the most wonderful group of caring, sassy, badass mothers who can differ in opinion on topics like abortion and it doesn’t end catastrophically. Strange, I know, but I promise I’m not making it up!  J is currently in remission from breast cancer and this mums group has been there throughout her journey. J is a survivor ; she has batt...