Lately, I have found myself beginning to wonder.

From the very first moment that we are brought into this world, are the paths that we take and the lives that we lead already predetermined by something much greater than us or is the direction in which we travel through life determined soley by our own personal experiences. The kind of life experiences that not only change who we are as people, but more often than not, lead us down a path that we couldn’t ever possibly have predicted.

That wonderful cardiologist, the one who saved your great grandfathers life; was he placed on this earth to do just that or was he too swayed by yet another medical professional? A professional who perhaps not only saved the life of his great grandfather, but who in turn created the very moment that set fire to a lifelong career.

That amazing young artist, the one whose pieces you see displayed all across the world; was she born with the ability to express herself through art or was she simply influenced by the excitement of that very first day of preschool? The very first day that all of those beautiful colours first came to life.

That famous baseball player, the one who is admired by billions; was he destined for greatness even before he picked up that ball or was he too just another young boy influenced by his fathers unconditional love of the game? A young boy who just happened to have been given the opportunity of a lifetime.

That girl, the one who constantly appears to have just stepped off the runway; was she born into this world with that very same unique sense of style or was she simply persuaded by the countless fashion magazines that were left lying around as a child?

That fancy lawyer, the one who is busy changing the world one case at a time; was he born with the inate desire to seek justice or is he simply doing his best to rewrite the wrongs of his past?

That girl, the one who shares her story with the world; was that story always going to be hers to tell or was that just a consequence of the path that she unwillingly chose to take?

Had fate intervened in a way that caused us to never have found ourselves in the midst of that one single life changing moment, would we still be the very same people who we are today or would those people never have existed?

If each and every single decision that we had ever made was somehow magically reversed and the memory of each and every single life altering event was taken from us, in the end, would we still find our way back to the very place that we were destined to be or would we find ourselves somewhere completely different; somewhere we never could have imagined?

In the end, is it destiny that defines us or is it up to us to define ourselves?

After a lifetime obsession with every aspect of winter fashion and a wardrobe that is now overflowing with endless pairs of denim jeans, far too many winter jackets, a pile of grandpa cardigans, more scarves than one person could ever need and of course multiple pairs of boots to match, I guess you could say that I’ve always been more than a little bit prepared for that yearly winter chill.

Lately however, that is definately not the case.

Although my wardrobe is indeed still overflowing with all of the usual winter essentials, it would seem that with my current faulty temperature gauge, there are no amount of denim jeans, fancy winter jackets or pretty woolen scarves that could keep this little body warm and the saddest part; it’s still only May.

Here we are just halfway through May and already, the very same girl who has been completely head over heels in love with all things winter for as long as she can remember, is beginning to wish that such a traumatic season did not exist. Here we are just halfway through May and already, the possibility of leaving the house in my rather unfashionable multi-coloured ‘Where’s Wally?’ thermals is unfortunately, fast becoming a reality.

For now though, with the help of my new bestfriend, Mr. Giant Heatpack, I am doing my very best to stay brave. At least until the icicles melt away and the sun begins to shine again.

 Countdown to sunshine; only one hundred and three days to go.

Every once in a while, in amongst the craziness of it all, life blesses us with people whose mere presence has a way of making us feel as though suddenly, the world makes sense again.

The kind of people who in an instant just ‘get’ you, flaws and all and regardless of how it is that you met, you can’t quite remember your life before them nor can you imagine your life without them.

The kind of people who you just knew from the first moment that you met, were destined to be a part of your life forever and regardless of whether you consider them to be the love of your life or your very best friend, they have changed your world in a way that you never could have imagined.

The kind of people who at the end of the day when you stop to count your blessings, you always count them twice. The ones who every single day, turn your life into the magical adventure that it was designed to be. Those select few who put the colour back into your rainbow when they can see that it’s slowly beginning to fade, without you ever having to say a word.

Those people, the ones who instantly came to mind from the very second that you began reading this; hold onto them. However few or however many you may have been blessed with, hold them close and don’t ever let them go. Treasure them, cherish them and every chance that you are given, thank them because although you may not realise it right now; those people are some of the greatest blessings that you will ever come across in this life and without them, your world would never be the same.

Today, more than any other day of the year, I can’t help but feel overwhelmingly grateful for the amazing woman who I have been lucky enough to call my Mumma, for the past twenty-two years.

The one who from the very first moment I entered this world, has showered me with unconditonal love.

The one who has been there day in and day out, every single time that I have ever needed her.

The one who has held it all together, when everyone else would have completely fallen apart.

The one who has taught me bravery beyond anything I have ever known and a strength that is indescribable.

The one who has shown me that above all else, love truly is all we will ever need in this world.

The one who has given me the courage to not only follow my heart, but to chase my dreams.

The one who has taught me to always trust in myself and to always trust in my instincts.

The one who has taught me that regardless of age, we teach people how to treat us; if we don’t respect ourselves, how can we expect others to do the same?

The one who has taught me to always do the right thing by others, regardless of the circumstance.

The one who has taught me that respect is to be earned and trust is to be cherished.

The one who has given me the confidence to step out into the world with a smile on my face and a spring in my step, knowing that anything is possible.

The one who has not only given me permisson to be exactly who I am, but who has taught me to love that person unconditionally; flaws and all.

The one who has taught me that at the end of the day, the only opinion that matters is the opinion that we have of ourselves.

The one who has taught me to never settle for anything less than everything I have ever wanted, in every single aspect of life.

The one who has not only blessed me with her chompy knees, crooked smile and ever growing love for all things edible, but who also gave me the worlds most amazing big brother.

The one who has not only made my life a never ending episode of Gilmore Girls, but who continues to brighten my life every single day.

The one who has taught me to have faith in the belief that everything happens for a reason, even when we may think otherwise.

The one who has not only given me the wings to fly, but the courage to use them.

The one who has without a doubt shaped me into the very person I am today, the one who I could not for a single second imagine my life without.

Whilst laying in bed last night, unable to sleep, I had yet another profound realisation; a thought that up until now, has never before crossed my mind.

Although we may do our best to live our lives consciously aware of our gratitude towards the things that we believe ourselves to have been blessed with, what about all of life’s countless other blessings that we are so ignorantly unaware of? All of those precious little things that unless we actually stop to consider, selfishly, we don’t ever really see them as the true blessings that they are. All of those seemingly simple little things that really, aren’t very simple at all.

Imagine for a moment, living your entire life in complete darkness. Imagine never seeing the magical glow of a sunrise or the beauty in a sunset. Imagine never knowing the colours of the rainbow or just how beautiful the flowers look in spring time. Imagine giving birth to a beautiful, brand new baby girl; a baby girl whose eyes you will never see the colour of and whose face you will never see light up with a smile.

Imagine for a moment, living your entire life in complete silence. Imagine never hearing the sound of ‘I love you’ or the way those tiny little footsteps pitter patter down the hallway. Imagine never hearing the sound of rain falling heavy on a hot tin roof or the way that thunder always echoes during a storm.

Imagine a life where the colours of the rainbow that you could once so clearly see, are now just a shadow of darkness that will never again turn to light. Imagine a life where the voices of your loved ones are just a distant memory that is slowly fading with each passing day. Imagine a life where you will never again walk with the sand between your toes or run with the cool breeze in your hair.

Imagine for a moment, a life where you would do anything for just one more chance to see the beauty in the world. Imagine a life where every single night before you drift off to sleep, you pray for a miracle and vow to never again take the simplicity of life for granted.

Imagine a life where every single day, you are praying to have all of those things that right now, you have already been blessed with. A life where you wouldn’t ever dream of asking for more because everything that you already have, would be so much more than enough.

Imagine for a moment living that life and then tell me that the grass doesn’t look greener, that the sky doesn’t seem just that little bit bluer and that those flowers don’t look more beautiful than ever before.

Imagine living that life and then tell me again how terrible your day was?