A gift given.

Sometimes it takes just one brave step. One moment of madness. The courage to reach out - consequences be damned. The gain you make will outweigh the panic, the fear of rejection and of being misunderstood.

Last week, I took one brave step. It started with an idea that I wanted to spend my first weekend of the year without Monkey doing something fun, "single" and different. It also helped that my birthday is next week and I wanted to do something symbolic to celebrate where I am now, acknowledge what has changed and be positive about Chapter Two.

I reached out and asked Grifball and MrIceGuy if they'd like to go out for dinner and to launch wish-lanterns off a beach. I think I gave them every opportunity to back out. But they agreed.  (!?) They wanted to spend a Saturday night with me... Maybe that was their brave step or moment of madness?

The beauty of the night came when I realised how freeing it is to be with people who see things in pictures and words. Like I do...

People who listen to my ramblings and genuinely seem to hear me not just tolerate it.
People who see the spine of a taniwha over Kapiti Island, or the opening to another universe in a gap in the clouds.
People who don't think twice to pull out a camera and take photos of seemingly random items strewn on a beach.
People who use words freely and without censure.
People who will take my bright random ideas and actually make them reality.
People who quietly think things through and then say something profound without even knowing it.
People who will sing along to cheesy songs on the radio without a hint of irony.

It was a true gift of a night. A night that reminded me of the person I used to be before I became caught up in fulfilling my views of responsibility. A night that showed me, I can be both a mother and a person. A night that showed me that this time ahead is going to be full of CHANGE, CHOICE and LIVING.

Cameras everywhere!

Ps: Photos to follow and it was too windy to send the wish lanterns into the sky.