I turned 44 yesterday so I've had to stop hanging onto the 'I can probably still class myself as early-40s' thoughts.

44 is well and truly mid-40s. Damn and blast!

Perhaps due to a birthday coming up I've been doing quite a lot of reflecting over the past few weeks and I'll share with you what are probably the top five thoughts that have been rattling around my head.  

1) The course of your life can change in a heartbeat as the result of something that seemed so tiny at the time (in my case sharing one of my direct message conversations on Twitter). Life can be tough and almost unbearable but when it throws you a curveball and you see a bit of light at the end of what has been a very long tunnel, you must grab every chance.

2) It's interesting how people come and go in life. Some only stay for a very short time but their presence and influence will always be felt, and sometimes the people that hurt you the most are actually teaching you the most useful lessons, teaching you things you can take forward.

3) Being thought of as funny or witty has become so much more of a compliment to me than pretty or 'fit' (although being mid-40s those days are far behind me anyway haha). Being able to make other people laugh through Twitter has saved me from some very dark depressions and kept me going despite sometimes doing it while crying. 

4) Joining a gym, going twice a week, half-heartedly walking round looking at the machines then going to the cafe downstairs will not shed the two stone I have put on recently, no matter how much I pretend that it will just because I'm wearing Adidas leggings.

5) Writing a book is sooooooooo hard and sooooooooo stressful, especially with myriad health conditions, but I WILL finish it, it WILL be published and it WILL be ace! 

Thank you to everyone for bearing with me during what is a very long process and will not be finished for a little while yet. 

Much love x