Category: Trending

Okay, here’s the thing…

People are dying. Someone’s mum, dad, brother…

I’m getting tired of reading posts saying this virus is ‘nothing’, an ‘over-reaction’, or ‘hype created by the media’.

People are dying.

And many, MANY, people are afraid.

Health anxiety is very real, believe you me, and right now, lots of people all over the world are feeling very afraid indeed.

And so they should.

I have a family member going through a terrifying lock-down in Italy and that is no joke. Megaphones on the street at 6pm to get people in their homes. No travel AT ALL. One in, one out of the supermarket and queuing for your slot to enter.

Do I think worrying and panicking will help? Absolutely not.

Do I realise that laughter and stiff upper lip are comforting? Of course I do.

But, whether we like it or not, this is real, this is happening and we need to take it very seriously indeed.

And for all of those people saying ‘I am not worried about catching it’, good for you, but please be aware you may spread it to someone who is worried.

Someone who may well die.

Time to take this seriously, cut out the BS, focus on the facts and get ready.

We are all in this together.

Play your part.

By 50, it’s full on UP.

By 60, both of those fingers are hoisted in a V…and not a single care is given any more.

I mean, we care about our family, our friends and our passions.

We care about the environment.

We care about equality and living in peace.

But we don’t care about ‘fitting in’ and we don’t care about what people think of us.

Not anymore.

Too many years were wasted on that.

We certainly don’t care to stay quiet, or bite our tongues – we haven’t wasted all these lessons to play dumb when the situation calls for our wisdom…

Hell no.

Neither do we care if our waistline is the acceptable size or if our thighs are toned and unblemished. 

We have wrinkles, we have stretch marks, we have war wounds, warts and all.

And we are rocking each and every one of them in all their glory.

You see, there comes a time in every woman’s life where you realise that this is it. This is the time to be alive. To live without restriction or opression anymore.

To break free of the chains society binds us with and tear loose.

This is our time to be completely and totally who we were supposed to be along.

The sooner you get there, the better.

Life waits for no woman

One Day…

An army of furious older women will take over the world.

And I want to be there at the front.

Because one day, every woman wakes up and realises, that quite frankly, they put themselves through hell.

Trying to fit in, trying to be enough, to be attractive, to be acceptable, to be responsible, to be reliable, to be a mother, to be a wife, to be a friend, to be a carer, to hold a career, to keep it all spinning effortlessly….

And in a flash, years and years of back-breaking conformity, whizzes before your eyes and you have a lightbulb moment…

It was never going to happen.

We could never have done it all.

For it is not possible.

No man could do it either. Not a chance.

Women of this world, beautiful, wonderful women – let that lightbulb go on sooner rather than later because when it does, you will be free.

Free to live.

Free to f up.

Free to take breaks and make mistakes.

Free to pass over on the list of things you ‘should’ be doing.

And you will understand that whatever you did today, it was enough.

You are enough.

One day, an army of furious older women will take over the world and I want to be there, right at the front.

By Donna Ashworth

LPIO 2018

YOU DID YOUR BEST TODAY

You did what you could.

You could have done more – possibly.

You could have done things differently – sure.

But you did what you did and that’s that.

That is that.

Your intentions were good, your efforts were from the heart – but you know what, life gets in the way. Life has a really big, annoying habit of changing your plans, rail-roading your goals and sending you off on a tangent.

Sometimes, it’s all we can do to just get through by the skin of our teeth.

We make lists; some days we clear them, some days we don’t even make a start…some days, all we seem to do is add to that list. Heck, some days we can’t even begin to make lists at all, we are so distracted.

 

Let it go before you sleep.

Tomorrow is a new day.

Trust that you will always be enough, even when you get it wrong.

Because the thing is, you’re trying.

And you want to be better

And that’s enough.

You did your best today my friend…now pass this on and let someone else know, that they did their best too.

We are all in this together.

#youareenough 

Donna Ashworth

 

TO THE WOMAN with the full-time career, who occasionally feels the guilt of the life choices she has made… you are doing a great job. You’re an inspiration, keep on your path if feels right for you and don’t bow down to societal pressures until it suits, if ever. Young women everywhere will look up to you for it. Your life, your way.

TO THE WOMAN who sometimes feels bad for her lack of ambition and her ability to just ‘be’ and plod along with a ‘normal’ life… you are doing a great job. You’re an inspiration, happiness is a choice not a destination and you know what, you’re showing the way every day. Enjoy it.

TO THE WOMAN who is knee deep in familial life – literally on her knees – with the tiredness and the worry and the fear…you are doing a great job. Stay strong, you’re an inspiration, this phase passes all too soon and you’ll look back and wonder where it all went. Those little people need you and you’re everything to them. It won’t always be this hard.

TO THE WOMAN who wishes she was exhausted from caring for a family, for whom this gift has not been bestowed. You’re doing a great job. You want something with every fibre of your being and yet you cannot have it. It hurts. It hurts like hell. Please use the love that is brimming within you and spread it around those already in your life and keep inviting in even more souls who will flourish under you. You have so much to give.

TO THE WOMAN who finds life just that bit more difficult than most, who struggles with the dark clouds and fights an invisible enemy, day-in, day-out. You’re an inspiration. Your story could be someone’s saviour one day, so please don’t give up, this is just a chapter, not the whole book. You are a warrior. Keep fighting.

TO THE WOMAN who is dealing with the worst kind of grief, a loss so deep it engulfs any other life around it. You’re doing a great job. Life has dealt you a black hand and yet you are still here, showing up every day. To say you are an inspiration is not doing you justice. You are amazing. One day time will heal your heart just enough for you to smile and feel the light again. Hang on in there. Someone somewhere needs you still.

TO THE WOMAN who has found herself alone and wonders how this could have happened. You are an inspiration. It is not over for you yet, in fact, quite the opposite. Yes you feel alone but you are also free to adventure and there is a whole world of experiences awaiting you. Be brave. It is your time now, even it feels the opposite way. Go for it, really go for it.

TO EVERY WOMAN everywhere, no matter the life you live, the choices you make or the circumstances dealt to you. You are amazing. You are an inspiration to someone, somewhere and your story matters.
It really matters.
Live it, then tell it. Tell it as often as you can. That’s how inspiration works. Look around you only to admire, encourage and support – there is no need to feel pressure to change or conform. Your life. Your way.

We are all in this together ladies, we all need each other.

Donna Ashworth

LPIO 2018

TO THE WOMAN WHO WILL LOVE MY SON ONE DAY…

It is hard, so hard, to imagine a day where I will not be the moon, the sun and the sky to my little man.

When he is sad, he calls for me. When he is scared, it’s me he wants. When he feels excited, I am the one he rushes to tell first.

I am the keeper of his secrets, the finder of anything which is lost and the solver of any known problem in his little world.

I am his everything and he is mine.

One day, you will have the pleasure of being his everything.

One day it will be you that he comes to, and that is, of course, the way it should be.

But I wonder if you will ever think of me sometimes, perhaps let me be the first to share some good news – or allow me the honour of pulling you both out of some trouble life may throw at you. I will be waiting, ready and willing.

I will not meddle or fuss or pull you in opposite directions I promise you that, and should you be blessed with children of your own, there will be no one, no one on this earth who will love them more than me.

The bond between a mother and a son is divine, this much is true, but I wish for him the very same bond with you.

And I pray the circle of love goes on and on and on.

Donna Ashworth

LPIO 2018

 

When God created woman he was working late on the 6th day…….
An angel came by and asked.” Why spend so much time on her?”
The lord answered. “Have you seen all the specifications I have to meet to shape her?”
She must function on all kinds of situations,
She must be able to embrace several kids at the same time,
Have a hug that can heal anything from a bruised knee to a broken heart,
She must do all this with only two hands,”She cures herself when sick and can work 18 hours a day”
THE ANGEL was impressed “Just two hands…..impossible!
And this is the standard model?”
The Angel came closer and touched the woman
“But you have made her so soft, Lord”.
“She is soft”, said the Lord,
“But I have made her strong. You can’t imagine what she can endure and overcome.”
“Can she think?” The Angel asked…
The Lord answered. “Not only can she think, she can reason and negotiate.”
The Angel touched her cheeks….
“Lord, it seems this creation is leaking! You have put too many burdens on her”
“She is not leaking…it is a tear” The Lord corrected the Angel…
“What’s it for?” Asked the Angel….. .
The Lord said. “Tears are her way of expressing her grief, her doubts, her love, her loneliness, her suffering and her pride.”…
This made a big impression on the Angel,
“Lord, you are a genius. You thought of everything.
A woman is indeed marvellous”
Lord said.”Indeed she is.
She has strength that amazes a man.
She can handle trouble and carry heavy burdens.
She holds happiness, love and opinions.
She smiles when she feels like screaming.
She sings when she feels like crying, cries when happy and laughs when afraid.
She fights for what she believes in.
Her love is unconditional.
Her heart is broken when a next-of-kin or a friend dies but she finds strength to get on with life”
The Angel asked: “So she is a perfect being?”
The lord replied: “No. She has just one drawback
She often forgets what she is worth.”

www.ladiespassiton.com

TO OUR DAUGHTERS

🌟 You were born made of softness, sweetness and love, but with a will so strong it could bend iron – despite what society may tell you, you don’t have to lose one or the other. Keep them all, they are yours. Aren’t you blessed?

🌟 Your super-power in this life, is that little voice inside of you that tells you when something isn’t right, listen to it. Likewise, listen to it when it’s saying yes yes yes.

🌟 Your self-worth is controlled by you, only you. Never put it in someone else’s hands.

🌟 You are equal to, not better than, but equal to, anyone else you may ever come across in this life. Never feel inferior.

🌟 Never lose your joy. No matter how serious your ambition, or how driven your path is, remember we are here for only a short time and life is to be lived and loved.

🌟 Comparison will not propel you ahead, rather it will keep you back from the real treasures in this world. Stop comparing. Better still, never start.

🌟 Fear is an instinct but unlike your inner voice it can be misleading. Never let fear hold you back from the wonders you could see.

🌟 Do not let society, or anyone, tell you what beauty looks like. If you feel beautiful, you are. If you see beauty, it’s there. Your beauty is an emalgimation of everything that makes you you, and it is utterly unique. Embrace that, early.

🌟 You don’t have to choose between being a warrior, a princess, a lady or a woman. You can be all of them in one and most women are, every day. Strong isn’t the word; we have the ability to be all things to all people but remember yourself, put yourself first sometimes too.

🌟 Lastly, it is okay to not be okay. It is even better if you talk about it. Darkness cannot shine through light, but light can shine through darkness. You can be amazing and admired whilst admitting your weaknesses and discussing your fears and anxieties.  Even more so in fact.

Oh and….never let anyone dull your sparkle, you were born to shine.

Words: Donna Ashworth

Ladies Pass It On

1. Your children will base every relationship they ever have on the one that has defined them. This is that one.

2. You are being watched every minute of every day whether you realise that or not, set a good example.

3. No matter how bitter or petty you may be feeling on any given day, rise above. This is so much bigger than your feelings.

4. This story, your story, will mould generations to come – and you are in control of that outcome. It’s a very big deal.

5. The welfare of your family, and they are still your family, is far more important than being right. Don’t see a single moment of suffering, just to prove a point.

6. Provide. This is every parent’s job. It doesn’t matter who has what or who paid last time. Just give what is needed when it’s needed.

7. Accept. New partners may enter your world and at the end of the day there is nothing you can do to stop that. Your acceptance will create so much more harmony in your child’s life.

8. Encourage your child to like the new partner too – you will be showing them a fabulous way to live – for acceptance brings peace. Fact.

9. If you partner has a new relationship, that person will become a big player in your child’s life. They will need your help and your friendship. It has to be team if you are putting the child first.

10. Forgive. It is impossible to forget but if you want your child’s broken heart to mend (and their heart will truly be broken when their parents separate), then you must BE the example – that mistakes can be made and people can grow apart but that love can take many forms and the strongest of those forms is when a new human is made.

Ultimately, your child will live a full life with a part of you both existing within them – both genetically and spiritually. You are connected. If you can salvage and build a working relationship with their best interests at heart, then you are truly winning at life.

Easier said than done I realise, but so very worth it. The legacy will go on and on.

Because love, and raising our children, is what everything is about.

Donna Ashworth

©LPIO 2017

When you say goodbye to a parent.

You are suddenly living in a whole new world.

You are no longer ‘the child’ and regardless of how long you have officially been ‘grown up’ for, you realise you actually never were until this moment. The shock of this adjustment will shake your very core.

When you have finally said goodbye to both your parents, assuming you were lucky enough to have had two. You are an orphan on this earth and that never, ever gets easier to take no matter how old and grey you are yourself and no matter how many children of your own you have.

You see, a part of your body is physically connected to the people that made it and also a part of your soul. When they no longer live, it is as if you are missing something practical that you need – like a finger or an arm. Because really, you are. You are missing your parent and that is something far more necessary than any limb.

And yet the connection is so strong it carries on somehow, no-one knows how exactly. But they are there. In some way, shape or form they are still guiding you if you listen closely enough. You can hear the words they would choose to say to you.

You can feel the warmth of their approval, their smile when a goal is achieved, their all-consuming love filling the air around you when a baby is born they haven’t met.

If you watch your children very closely you will see that they too have a connection with your parents long after they are gone. They will say things that resonate with you because it brings so many memories of the parent you are missing. They will carry on traits, thoughts and sometimes they will even see them in their dreams.

This is not something we can explain.

Love is a very mystical and wondrous entity.

It is far better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all and grief, grief is the price of that love. The deeper the love the stronger the grief.

When you say goodbye to a parent, do not forget to connect with that little girl who still lives inside you somewhere.

Take very good care of her, for she, she will be alone and scared.

When you say goodbye to your parents, you lose an identity, a place in the world. When the people who put you on this earth are no longer here, it changes everything.

Look after yourself the way they looked after you and listen out for them when you need it the most.

They never really leave.

©LPIO 2017 Donna Ashworth

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Teach them to love the feel of a hug.
Teach them to spot the sadness of a friend.

Teach them to understand the power of a thank you and a please.
Teach them how wonderful sand and grass feel on bare feet and how magical getting soaked in a rainstorm can be.
Teach them the importance of respect for their elders.

Teach them the strength in silence.
Teach them the healing wonder of laughter.
Teach them why a sunset and a sunrise are life-affirming moments in every day.
Teach them to understand the doors opened by a smile.
Teach them above all to be kind.

Teach them to value other’s opinions and walk in their shoes to best understand differences.
Teach them to understand how helping others can heal yourself.
Teach them that love is the answer, always the answer.

Teach them to watch and listen before they react.
Teach them to dream and to believe that dreams come true.
Teach them to spot their fears and anxieties before they become overwhelming.
Teach them how powerful breathing can be.

Teach them to be humble but to know they are enough, always enough.
Teach them to try, fail and win.
Teach them to sit with fear in their heart sometimes, it’s there to protect us, not to stop us.
Teach them to say yes, to live in the moment and to go for it, whatever it is.

Teach them that regardless, they will always have a space in your heart to call home.
Teach them to leave and teach them to return.
Teach them to see the good and teach them also to sense the bad.
Teach them to be still sometimes and to sit with their own thoughts.

Teach them to express themselves however they feel they need to.
Teach them to love their own quirks, shortcomings and talents.
Teach them to feel and to hurt and to heal.

Teach them the beauty in a flower, the wonder of a view and the wisdom of the tides.
Teach them something every minute of every day.
Nothing is too ordinary

〰Donna Ashworth

10 THINGS EVERY MAN SHOULD KNOW

1. We love you, whether we are hormonal or needy, shouty or weepy, whether we want affection or can’t bear to be touched, we still love you.

2. We want you to listen, actually listen sometimes. Solutions are not required. Just your attention and your support. We don’t always need the problem fixing we just want to talk it out.

3. We pretend we hate it when you tell us our bum looks great but never EVER stop doing it – we love it.

4. There is a place on your body that we fit into perfectly and makes us feel safe – it’s just between your arm and the middle of your chest and laying our head there is everything.

5. We know it’s impossible to answer the question ”which dress looks better’ or ‘does my bum look big in this’ but it’s got to be done. It’s in our make-up. Try and say something positive and relevant – like you’ve actually looked.

6. Yes there are a few days (ahem) each month where it’s impossible to understand us but try seeing it from our side. Hormones are an emotional rollercoaster – imagine someone is playing puppet master in your brain and making it up as they go along…we don’t understand ourselves either.

7. Never, ever forget how blessed a man is to have a woman who loves him. I am your Queen, you are my King – don’t ever be tempted to rock this kingdom we built. It’s solid and real, everything else is a folly.

8. We don’t need you, we want you. It’s very different.

9. A six pack and perfect body is all very well and good but nobody wants a man who spends too long getting ready and cares too much about how he looks. We love every bit of you, even the extra bits. You’re all man to us.

10. It’s okay to cry. It’s great to cry. It’s not a weakness and we will never see it as one. We got you, you can lean on us sometimes that’s what it’s all about. Let us take the lead every now and again, we know where we are going…

Oh and beards – keep em short…yes we said we didn’t want chips then we ate yours – deal with it.
And absolutely we do need that many pairs of shoes.