I hope you have had a good week, I thought I would share my favourite artwork that I created this week. I painted it to be a print but I’m actually thinking I might create a pattern with it too.
I wasn’t sure what to write about this week but my mind has been consumed with one thing so I thought I would share it with you. I went for dinner with a couple of old friends this week – I have known both of them for 12 years and the only reason I can remember that is because we met through NCT when I had my second baby. Yes I know it is weird to do NCT twice but I made such amazing friends the first time round that I wanted to do it again. I wanted to recreate my gorgeous crew that kept me sane and were the most incredible support during those first 6-12 months when you feel like you are going slightly mad. It was a completely different experience the second time round but I did make two friends for life and they brought me so much joy in that newborn stage. I still feel the same way about them – they are both full of positivity and enthusiasm for life that you can’t help but smile when you are with them. We haven’t seen each other enough over the years, partly due to a move to America for a few years for one of them, but have been trying to get together more regularly recently.
In 2020, at the height of covid lockdowns, one of them found a lump on her breast and was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer. Following a full mastectomy and treatment she went into remission and was doing well – she had a love affair with some brilliant wigs following chemo and thought everything was ok but after finding a further lump on her scar a while later she received the heartbreaking news that the cancer was back and had spread to her bones. Her stage 4 cancer is incurable but she is determined to live as long as possible and my goodness is she living life to the max! She is incredibly proactive keeping on top of developments in treatment strategies as well as trying a whole range of alternative therapies. She is campaigning for a wonderful charity, working her way through her bucket list, spending quality time with her family and even hopes to climb Kilimanjaro while she is still well enough to do so. She is taking things day by day, trying to live life to the max and spread hope to other people through charity work and podcasts. I feel so lucky to call her my friend and find her incredibly inspiring. When we went for dinner the other night what struck me the most was her unwavering positivity and determination to embrace life with every fibre of her being. She has made a conscious decision to live each day to its fullest, savouring every moment and cherishing the simple joys that life has to offer. Her courage and strength act as a powerful reminder of the fragility of life and the importance of seizing the day.
It prompted me to take a closer look at my own life and how I’ve been living it. Have I been truly embracing all that life has to offer, or have I been merely going through the motions, taking each day for granted? We all spend most of our lives planning and saving for the future (and obviously I’m not saying we shouldn’t do that to some extent!) but I definitely want to make the most of the opportunities open to me. I don’t want to wait until I receive a cancer diagnosis to really start living my life. I’m making that bucket list today and hope it will be a compilation of dreams, goals, and experiences that I aspire to achieve in this lifetime.
I want to embrace life’s fragility, live with intention and purpose and make every day count. Carpe Diem…
nicolaedgar.co.uk 
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