A few very lovely things have been happing this year - it might sound strange, but I feel like I’ve only just started blogging again. I can’t put my finger on the feeling, but it feels like it similar to when I first started Made From Scratch almost 6 years ago. Fresh, completely unknown, new, scary and open to any opportunity in a way. After what happened last year, ​I never had any intention of stopping MFS. A few people asked if I would and I can see how easy it would have been to call it a day. But to be honest, it was the only thing that was ‘mine’ and something that I was able to completely manage during a time where my choice on how the life as I knew it was cruelly taken from me. I honestly have no idea where MFS will take me, no one ones what the future holds, but it’s actually really exciting to have that ‘fresh’ feeling again and just ‘see what happens’. There are a few stories I want to share with you that still to this day ground me more, makes MFS feel ‘new’ again and completely inspires me to keep going. Plus, I absolutely refuse to quit something that means so much to me, I’m not allowing him to take anything else from me.

One of the things that I never ever expected since sharing my story was the overwhelming response of support and how many beautiful and incredibly brave women reached out to share their stories with me. It was, and still is, something that always brings me to tears as I read through their emails knowing that I understand just how lonely, sad, scared and vulnerable they feel. But also just how incredibly unfair it is when the ones who are meant to love us hurt and betray us the most, knowing that someone else has had to endure heartache and pain like this it just horrible. But, I now know that I, and these wonderful women, will be ok - no one can give you the ‘date’ that it will be ok, but it will happen. Throughout every one of these generous emails and messages of support, there has been the exact same message from each of these brave women who shared their story. It’s simply to keep blogging. In their messages, they kindly say that my blog has kept them going through those horrific dark days when it’s sometimes just too hard to even catch a breath. They thank me for being so honest about something so horrible. They grieve with me about the loss of a loved one and life that they know and then generously mention that they have shared my story with a friend going through the same thing to show that you can create a fresh start. This simple comment to ‘keep blogging’ means so so much, and I think they share it to simply encourage me to not give up no matter how hard or overwhelming it gets. And to anyone who blogs/owns their own business, will know that the ‘urgh, I’m going to give up’ moments happen quite a lot. But I think simply persevering, plugging away and taking each day as it comes really is all we can do sometimes, and then one day its just clicks and you feels so good about not quitting.

I don’t even have the words to explain how much each and every one of these messages means to me. It’s honestly something I never ever dreamt would come from my story and it’s still something that just blows me away every single day. That me tapping away at my computer each day would be able to somehow help or comfort someone else - that sort of thing only happens in movies, or Oprah. I still believe and think that it’s only my Mum and Grandma who read’s MFS, so this generous kind and huge response from all of these women just blows me away and simply proves to me that we truly are so much stronger, braver and capable of getting through this than we think…