10 things… I would tell my pre wife and mummy self

I wouldn’t change things for the World. I love my home, my husband, our dog and our daughter, but over the past few days I have been looking over photos of our last holiday as ‘boyfriend’ and ‘girlfriend’ in 2011 to my happiest and the most magical place, India. It was the holiday where we made all our plans. It was when we decided we were going to kick back, because when we got home, we were going to put the wheels in motion for the ‘big’ plans for our future.

I was planning to go self employed, we were going to contact the council and start the long, arduous process of diverting a footpath that ran straight through our property, as well as those and the million other things, we knew that when we went home, sometime within the next 6 months we were going to get engaged.

As I looked through the photos again last night, feeling tired from running around after a bossy ‘twonager’, strung out having worked on various projects until late into the night with my body sore from the latest AS flare, I almost didn’t recognise the fresh faced, well rested girl in the photographs, and I began to tell my ‘pre wife and mummy self’ all the things she should do on that holiday looking back and knowing what I know now…

1) Sit in that restaurant for as long as you like. Sit in silence if you want to and just take in every sight, sound and feeling.

2) Read that book from beginning to end without breaking away from it.

3) Don’t sit in the shade too long worrying about the small stuff, get out in the sun and let the warmth and vitamin D wash over you. Everything you are worrying about now, is such trivial stuff. Oh and enjoy that warm cup of peppermint tea you’re drinking in that photo… chances are it’s one of the last hot cups of tea for a while!

4) Bury your feet and hands into the sand and feel each grain soothe you. Lie back, close your eyes and sleep if you fancy, just rest.

5) Don’t worry about how you look, your body and face looks the best it ever will. As I type this, my little girl has just asked me who the girl in the photograph is… kill me now!

6) Hold him longer, with the water lapping at your feet, let it wash over you both and savour the moment in each others arms, just you and him.

7) Don’t pester him to come and chat to you, let him stand there and take it all in. You have got all the time in the World to chat with him, let him have his ‘quiet time’.

8) Buy that hand carved stone, you won’t find anything as beautiful or well made when you get home.

9) Go back to that cafe, stay there until the sun goes down and just listen to the waves.

10) Don’t rush, take time to enjoy sitting with each other nattering whilst drinking a nice chilled beer, take time to mess around taking photos as the sun goes down.