Source: Google images

Happy new year from the Davieses!

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda wrth yr Davieses!

(Paul, Didi & me) 

I would have loved to spend NYE with family, but for several reasons we couldn’t. Instead we enjoyed a quiet night just the three of us. Should I be counting my kitten? The day before, after a bit of internet searching I had found a couple of ideas to make our night fun, but low in energy expenditure. I saw a great idea on one forum, to eat healthy snacks instead of junk food, on the basis that you would wake up on 1st January feeling like you had already gotten back on track with a balanced diet after Christmas. I took this idea and ran with it. We had a yummy fruit platter, started a puzzle, played one of our new games (great Christmas present) and watched a film on iplayer. We spent the night doing things we enjoyed, without compromising my health. This meant that I woke up today, able to start 2013 the way I want it to continue, able to utilise my energy to work on my degree.

I was saddened to see many people on Facebook and Twitter writing negative messages about 2012. I know that for many people, there are a lot of bad memories associated with the last year, but I also know that most of these people had so many things to celebrate and be thankful for too. For P and I, the last year hasn’t always been easy, my health especially has deteriorated, which is both frustrating and de-moralising, but we would rather focus on all the fantastic things that happened over the last year, from the little things like the time we managed to go to the park, to the huge things, we got married. Of course, we have more to celebrate than a lot of people because we got married, one of the best things to happen to anyone.

Nothing like a night in with these two crazy cats

I do believe the best is yet to come though, I don’t say that just because we’re young and I think I’ll get better, but because I know that God never provides a dull life. I can’t think of a single person I know who has a close relationship with God and a boring life. A life of adventure awaits all of us. Sometimes that adventure takes us through valleys, but even those awful times can have purpose when put into the hands of our Creator. Just writing these things makes me so excited for what lies ahead for me and Paul this year. Part of me is terrified, P is due to complete his degree this year, which throws up so many questions about how we will manage my health and stay financially afloat, but when I look in the Bible, I see that I have nothing to fear as long as I have God with me.

Many of people would have hated to spend NYE the way I did, but I felt perfectly contented. It’s easy to become disheartened because of all of things we don’t have,  but it’s difficult not to feel blessed when you count all of the things you do have. We should never take the basics like a roof over our head and food on the table for granted. The headlines of increasing unemployment and homelessness should teach us that.

At midnight, we tuned into BBC1 because I love fireworks. I might not be able to attend the Calennig celebrations in Cardiff, but I can see the wonderful firework display in London on my laptop. My favourites are the ones which follow the London Eye around in a circle. One year they used the Eye as a countdown clock for the last 60 seconds of the year. Amazing. With a big grin on my face, I kissed my husband at midnight, and thanked God for blessing me with such a wonderful partner for life.

Source: Google images

Thank you so much for reading my blog in 2012, I hope you will continue to do so this year. I want to take Chronically Katie further this year, to raise even more awareness about invisible illnesses. This cause is more important than ever before, as the pages of the newspaper fill with articles persecuting patients and my inbox fills with desperate stories of those who are refused benefits and care. Please help me to help disspell the myths and misunderstandings so that fighters of invisible illnesses can get the care and support they both need and deserve.

Love Katie x

Posted by Katie Bennett-Davies in Family, Home life, Inspiration, University Tags: 2012, 2013, BBC1, board games, C.S. Lewis, Calennig, CFS, Christmas, Chronically Katie, Didi, Facebook, fibromyalgia, films, firework, fun, games, God, gratitude, healthy eating, homelessness, husband, invisible illness, kitten, London, love, M.E., marriage, New Year, New Year's Day, New Years Eve, NYE, puzzle, simplicity, spoonie, Twitter, unemployment, wedding