I’m often told I’m a ‘nice’ person. In fact, lots of people call me Lovely Lisa. I think I’m called that because I go out of my way to make people feel comfortable around me and I also like to avoid unnecessary conflict. I’m not sure why I’ve turned out to be ‘nice’. Maybe it’s a product of my upbringing; I was always taught to treat people gently and with respect. Empathy is a strong emotion for … [Read more...]
Things I used to say…
Before I had kids:I’m going to give birth naturally. You know, drug free.I’d LOVE to have twins.My kids are going to be really healthy eaters. I’ll just be organised and only ever have fresh food in the fridge.I will never, ever resort to bribing my kids. Never. I will never let my kids run around a shop like that. My kids will be well behaved. I’m totally ready to have kids. I think it should … [Read more...]
Looking for the good news
I’ve never been a fan of public transport. But yesterday as I sat on the bus that regularly takes me home from the city, I felt uneasy. My mind wandered to a dark place in the wake of the Boston bombings.What the victims saw and felt. What their families are going through. How it could have been anyone. Could it ever happen here? On this bus? Could it ever be me?I glanced at the people sitting … [Read more...]
Rise above it
That’s what my mum would always say to me when I was a kid dealing with the vagaries that come with fickle young friendships. “Rise above it. If they have no reason for not liking you, well then they’re just not worth it. Ignore them,” she’d firmly tell me. And she was right. She was always right. She still is. It’s why I love her so much. But sometimes I found the art of ‘rising above things’ … [Read more...]
Could’ve been. Should’ve been. Wasn’t.
Recently I sat next to a woman at a dinner party. I won’t go into who she was or where we were, but our conversation gravitated towards our children.Her face beamed proudly as she told me about her teenage sons. Her eldest son in particular, who was achieving top marks in all his subjects in his final year at school. But then her eyes flickered with worry as she looked down at her food.“He’s just … [Read more...]
The unanswerable question
I thought my mind was playing tricks when I heard the sobbing coming from his room. It took me a while to realise it was him – I’d never heard him cry like that before. “What’s wrong sweetheart?” I said as I sat next to the rocking lump in the doona.His tiny swollen face peered out from beneath his dark hideaway. He had been crying for much longer than I realised.Gulping for air he struggled to … [Read more...]