The room of requirement

We have a room adjacent to our kitchen. It's lovely big room, full of light, with views to the deck on one side and garden on the other. It's a room where people gather, it's warm, welcoming and spacious. But strangely, it's a room without a name. All of the other rooms in the house have titles - lounge, dining, bedroom, laundry - based on their primary use.

Sometimes we talk about the Red Room, based on its decor but even this doesn't stick. Its the hub of our home, a that room matches our ever-changing needs, it's the room where anything can happen. A room where variety is the spice of life, the room of requirement. 

Depending on the time of day it can the breakfast room, a quiet reading room, an extra bedroom, a games room - this is where the Xbox and play station live and the room can be brimming with teenage boys vying for supremacy in soccer or rugby. It was also the dance floor, complete with DJ, for my son's 18th Birthday. For a month it was the room where my mum convalesced after her back surgery. It's also been a massage room! 

Rob had to fight the cat for his turn!

It's where we gather when we all come home, to chat, debrief and shrug off the day. At Christmas time we move the dining table in so the extended family can fit. It's a room that invites laughter and conversation. But it's also a room that lifts you up when you need it most.

I've spent a lot of time in here over the past few years. Central to the room is a sofa bed that also converts into a chaise. And it's here that I've recovered from my various surgeries. 

A flashback to the time I spent six weeks in this contraption as it bent and straightened my knee.

I'm in the room right now, writing this post. so, now the room is an office too. This is how the room currently looks, complete with pets, washing and an abundance of lemons. This room is real life. 

Xena has a red blanket and Sparky has a red beanbag and they don't like to share.

What room is the hub of your home? Do you have a room that changes with your needs? What do you call it? I'd love to hear about it.  

Tell me a story...

Everyone has a story to tell and each of us is in charge of shaping that story, of writing the next chapter through the choices we make and the actions we take. 

Every time someone decides to engage me they're choosing to change their story, to shake off the physical burden of their stuff, to write a new chapter that is lighter and more lively. Each client's journey and story is different and the emotional and sometimes physical changes that accompany decluttering and simplifying one's life can be both unexpected and challenging. I love working with clients as they move through these changes and delight in sharing their discoveries.

But, today, let me tell you a different story...

Ten days ago an experienced surgeon performed a type of operation he'd never undertaken before. He discussed this unique case with his learned colleagues. They'd never seen anything like it before either. So, together they formulated a plan to undertake a surgery that took them into uncharted territory.

It sounds like a story featured in a documentary. One which you read about in a textbook or research journal. But, for me, the strangest part of this story is that the patient with this bizarre and unique issue was me.

For the past two and half years I've lived with chronic pain. A pain that has become more and more debilitating. A pain that has refused to be diminished with medication. A pain that crept into every pore of my being and impacted every facet of my life. 

My world became, at times, very dark. I would wake every morning, in pain, wondering if this would be the day I gave up, pulled the covers over my head, admitted defeat and took to my bed for the rest my of natural life. I wondered when the day came, would it be a Monday or perhaps a Thursday? Maybe even a Sunday? But then each day I thought of what I'd miss. There was so much more of my life to be lived and so every morning I gritted my teeth and greeted the day. 

Over time I learnt to live within the confines of my pain and refused to allow it to completely rule me. But this effort came at great cost. I couldn't handle both the pain and my job and the pain showed no signs of easing. But sometimes opportunities come when you least expect them and whilst battling my demon I forged myself a new career complete with a fledgling business all of my own.

I'm proud of what I've achieved, of how I've overcome issues that seemed insurmountable. But mostly, I'm feeling a rising tide of excitement as I acknowledge that my pain, the demon that lodged itself deep within me, has gone or at the very least is sleeping. 

Everyone has a story to tell and its time to write the next chapter of mine.