I was fourth in my parents family of five kids, and I think that by the time my turn for growing up came, Mum realised that I wasnt going to break and that she didnt have to over-protect me. As a result, she encouraged me to do so many things. I remember clearly the day she explained to me that I never have to be fearful of making mistakes. She said that I will make them, and that I will learn from them, and that doing so is an essential part of life. It was so great for me, because it became my natural way of thinking. Never to be fearful. I reckon I would be a very different woman had she tried to prevent me from making any mistakes, or from never getting hurt at all. As a result, I grew up pretty fearlessly. I started modelling at the age of 15. I was on TV twice, once being interviewed for the model agency, and once catwalking a £5k dress for national TV. I did countless fashion shows during those two years. I moved to London at the age of 17 to work in the hotel industry with live-in accommodation, and I had the most incredible 5 years there. I went to over 70 concerts, joined a band, spent a few days in a recording studio, and I even got a personal tour of the BBC studios and got to watch Blue Peter going out live. I worked in a great job in the City of London, then gave it all up to move to the Highlands at the age of 22. I knew by then what I wanted for my life, and I wasnt afraid to go for it. Not going for it felt abnormal to me. Both Mum and Dad had taught me from a very early age that change is good. Even though its scary, its good. They spent months traveling around Europe in an RV when I was 4 years old, and they did this with 4 kids. How, I do not know, but they did. My younger brother hadnt been born then. They left South Africa when I was 9 and started new lives in Southern Ireland. Then they started over again 5 years later in South Wales, where Dads music was to take him. Both Mum and Dad always followed their dreams - Dad wrote music, and Mums dream was to write a book. While she raised the kids, she wrote short stories instead and had many published. Dads Viennese Rhapsody was performed by the Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra to a large audience, and Mum won an international writing competition from thousands of entries. She was awarded first prize from Sir Anthony Hopkins, and her entry was performed as a play, again to a large audience. I have seen both of my parents being asked for their autographs after watching both of these events live. They had an incredible impact on my way of thinking. Dreams are achievable... period. They are and always were fearless. If they felt fear, they never passed those fears on to me. Not once. Instead, they encouraged me to go out and grab every morsel of life that I can. I have never known any other way of being. Mum had her first book published aged 75, and another 2 after that. She is currently writing her 4th book Now that Im Eighty, which is moving beyond words. It is only now, in this book, that she explains some of the fear she felt at times... I honestly never knew. She is the most courageous woman I have ever known. My parents are my Heroes, and I have no doubt that the happiness I am able to embrace within my life now is in no small way down to the mind-set they instilled in me. Thank you Mum and Dad, for never over-protecting me, for never passing any of your own fears on to me, and for setting my soul free to soar... I love you both more than words can say.
Posted on: Fri, 05 Sep 2014 08:41:11 +0000
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