Thank YOU

..................very, very much ;)

So here we are, the new and ever growing Substackian family ( yes I’m using that word again-laughs to self)…Welcome welcome one and all…I’ve the kettle boiling and the cupboard is packed with biscuits…all your favourites and more on top….And what can I say when I meet you at the front door…only THANK YOU…THANK YOU…..and Thank YOU…….I see you…and I appreciate you so much!! Huge warm welcomes to each and everyone of you and of course you can’t step over that threshold without a big hug from me to you (feel the love and catch the eye contact- I’m sending it to you)…I SEE YOU reading this…..Thank you from the bottom of my heart for making such an effort to find my new home…To follow the directions down the road and around the bend & you’ve made it safely here. I will always be so grateful for the effort you made to follow me to this new home. Of course my other homes (particularly my Facebook home) will always be my first port of call...It’s where I wake up in the morning and it’s within the arms of my Facebook family I close my eyes every night…..That will never change but this new Substackian house is a new location for us all to hang out. A new place to make tea. A new place to lie on the couch and most importantly a new home for us all to unburden the heavy and find the light within each other.

(*I took this photo just a few minutes ago - yay for blue skies)

I really hope I can make you smile in this new home of ours but we all know there will be days when tears will fall too but there is nothing wrong with that….A good balancing approach to life is never a bad thing…You know me and my libra ways…I’m always looking for the middle path & more often than not, I can’t find it either but I’ll always look for it. If only life could be controlled like the settings in my phone….but it can’t. Life is a constant changing learning experience and for the days we are happy and content, we must try our best to press pause and embrace those moments and for the other days, the heavy days, we must grin and bare it and wait for the wave to pass over. One thing I can promise you….on those days, I’ll be with you too. So you won’t be alone. I’m right here by your side & when heavy things hit…. that is all we need….someone close by who can see us, feel us, comfort us & that doesn’t need to be physical… virtually, that same magic transcends, which is something very special we hold together. So never forget this, you are not alone in here….Or anywhere…I am with you!

As I’m writing this, Tom Petty’s song ‘Learning to Fly’ has just started playing ( I recommend you might play this song to yourself) .….What an appropriate song for life & particularly on this bright and beautiful Monday.….We’re all just here learning to fly aren’t we?…How true is that?….Every day, every morning, every night, every week, every month, every year…..We are constantly learning to fly….and that’s ok. I think acknowledging the learning part is the most powerful part of that line. Because nobody really knows what’s happening. We are all just spinning around on a big huge planet yokie bob (technical terms are my favourite) and hoping we will land safely at the end of each day. Never forget that. You are not alone. And nobody…..N..O..B..O..D..Y actually has any clue what they’re doing…we are all just winging it….Some might look like they know….but again that’s just temporary until life hits them between the eyes….so my best advice to you is to enjoy the journey….even the bad parts will lead you somewhere good someday….Yes not in that heavy moment will you feel that way….but even the dips, the shakes, the tumbles, the knocks, the huge scary waves….even those will pass over you eventually and you will shine again just like the sun…..Just keep going…that’s the only piece of advice I really have for you (and for me)…It’s all I have…..It’s all I do myself…I just keep going…I just try my best everyday to keep looking up…and if I have my health and I have the people I love, a roof over my head, a few bob in my pocket and a bit of food to enjoy, well then I’m winning & that is all I hope for every morning the sun rises. I live day to day and not a step further…I’ve learned that life can knock you over like a feather and the things you planned for and even the people you expected to be here forever, these are not givens…Life does not come with guarantees if anything life comes with a lot of disappointments and a lot of loss and an endless amount of times you will have to learn to fly…..But (and this is an very important conjunction) ….you will learn to fly and you will find love at the end of every day…whether it’s looking at yourself and putting your hand on your chest and feeling your heart beat….that is love…love for yourself….or if you’ve had the fortunate moment during the day where someone you care for & equally cares for you, whether physically in person or virtually through a text or an online interaction, showed you love…That is the win…That is the difference between giving up on love or fighting for it. We can do this. We have each other. And no matter what heavy weight is lying on your heart or your mind today, be sure to know, you can do this. You are doing this. And everything will indeed come right for you. Keep looking up. Keep loving. Keep being you! Keep learning to fly! And I promise, everything will work out in the end.

So substackian family, we’re coming to the end of our first Monday letter. I’ve loved writing to you as not only am I writing to you, I’m also writing to myself. Together we will travel this road called life & now that we’ve found our new home together, I promise, one thing for sure, the light will always be on for you here. You are doing better than you think you are and as my best friend Winnie always says to me, and now in turn I say it to you, “You are braver than you believe, you are stronger than you seem and you are smarter than you think.” I hope you have enjoyed today’s words and I really appreciate you reading all the way down here. If you feel like leaving a comment below letting me know if you’ve enjoyed this or any recommendations of changes, I’d be forever grateful for your thoughts and feelings. I hope you feel the love, light and energy I’m sending to you today and always.

I hope you have a wonderful week and thank you dearly for your support and kindness that you always show me & I look forward to our friendships growing and growing. We have a lifetime ahead and I’m so lucky I found you when I did. For anyone who might not be part of our Facebook family, please feel to visit us over on www.facebook.com/livingandlaughingwithlou where I could only describe it as a place of magic. It’s something that has to be experienced and I promise, once you visit us, you will never want to leave. I do a Facebook live every night at 10pm for chats and tea before bed.

Finally before I close this letter to you, I want to thank you again for allowing me into your emails every week & I hope you enjoy these fews words. Place them in your heart. Hold them in your mind. You’ve got this!

Also I must apologies in advance for any typing errors and grammatical mistakes…I’ve the queen of both…My English teacher in school regularly lost her mind with me….Her red pen would run dry with my essays but years later when I returned to my old school as a journalist covering a story…I opened a classroom door in which Mrs Lynch stood behind it. Instantly my inner thoughts flowed and my words exited my mouth at speed, “Mrs Lynch, you must have the newspaper destroyed in red pen when you see me in it ”….in which she replied, ‘I was wrong about your writing Louise. I can’t wait to pick up the paper every week to escape into your words.” So there you go, you just never know what impact you’re having on someone (even if your grammar is atrocious). Keep speaking from your heart, keep shining your light, it’s exactly what the world needs!

Over and out Substackian family,

Until the next beep goes to your inbox,

Love and light & loads of it being sent your way,

Your friend always,

Lou xx

Ps. I think you’re amazing! And don’t forget, Keep Looking Up!