Someone loses an eye! OK, that was a random quote to begin with, but it is what came to mind when I was pondering the title for my #AtoZChallenge post for the letter F.

I was going to use family as a topic, but then I remembered that I used the same theme, albeit applied to my Redcliffe novels, during the #AtoZChallenge 2013. Change of plan then! Instead, today’s word of choice is fun.

#AtoZChallenge: It’s all Fun and Games Until…

I made a New Year’s resolution for 2014 that I would have more fun and stop being so hard on myself about my career aspirations and general work situation. My children are my priority right now, and all they want to do is spend time with Mummy and Daddy, and various other family members and friends, doing fun things. Easy! Well, it would be easy if we humans did not always put so much pressure on ourselves to create the idyllic lifestyle of effortless charm. You know what I mean; two working parents who enjoy their jobs and career success while simultaneously raising perfectly adjusted children and doing everything they are supposed to do.

What I realised is that there are no fixed rules when it comes to children. We learn as we go along, and no amount of self-help books, parenting experts, wise older people or other such guides will do it for us. Therefore, we should take it easy, stop being so hard on ourselves when we do acknowledge that we make mistakes, and just enjoy the fun times while we can.

The notion of having fun

This notion of having fun is all the more poignant right now, as my father-in-law is currently in hospital following a very serious road cycling accident last month. His recovery is slow, we do not know all the facts about the accident, and we are currently in a strange sort of existence as we wait for him to heal sufficiently to communicate with us. In the meantime, we have to take what fun we can, knowing all the while that a key family member is missing out, and that he might never make a full recovery.

Today my eldest daughter is spending some time with Grandma, enjoying the simple pleasures of baking and walking the dog, and life carries on as normal. It will not be normal for a long time now, because it is dominated by hospital visits and the constant wondering about just how soon we can have our old Dad, Grandad, Friend, back home and back on track. Hence my strange title!

Thank you for stopping by, now why not check out my fellow writers on the #AtoZChallenge? See you tomorrow!

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