An Eventful Year

Today is my anniversary -  I have been blogging for a whole year !

I decided to post this as "An Eventful Year" because when I started this project, I was out of work and not a grandmother ......

Then my thoughts wandered a little and I looked back on my life since I moved out of the family home at aged 23 and set up home with Mark ..... I realised that, actually, according to  the stress level scale of Holmes & Rahe .... this has in fact been one of my quieter years !!!

Since I moved out in 1988 ..... I have only had 3 years where my stress factors have not reached the level (on this scale) of illness ....... NO WONDER I GET MIGRAINES LOL !!!

2001 & 2002 were fairly calm (although I was living with a control freak and the domestic situation was beginning to fall apart) and 2006.

YES - that is it - 3 years out of 24 !!!!

If you are familiar with this Stress Scale it does include the good events too - getting married, Holidays and Christmases (yes they can cause stress - check out my Christmas posting about decorating the tree !).

However, there is always a balancing side to the scale ...... a Ying to the Yang .... right now I am at home, typing this in the sunshine (and glorious sunshine it is) with a sense of peace and calm ... listening to the water in my pond bubbling away .... could it be any better ?

I think when they calculated this list they acknowledged the other factors in life that off-set the level at which there is a high risk of illness ..... the calmer side of life .... your environment and your support networks... your natural resilience, even whether you are an optimist or pessimist must make a difference ! Hence the scale only states that the RISK of illness increases ..... not that you WILL have a physical or psychological breakdown

Whatever the reasons for each individual dealing with their own stresses I believe wholeheartedly that I have been lucky enough to have a lovely home environment, a supportive family and a faith that lets me just say ... 

"OK .... that was tough .... but it will get better and easier !"

Here's to the next eventful year !!!