This year I have reached a milestone birthday and it marks a time, that I can look back over my life and reflect all the good and bad things that have happened to me.

I am very lucky that I have everything  I could want, a wonderful husband, 3 fantastic children, a future son-in-law and Millie the dog.  

The first part of my life was not so lucky.  From the age of 13 my life and that of my family changed.  My father died unexpectedly at 39 and my mother, 11 year old brother and 6 year old sister were left to pick up the pieces. Our lives were turned upside down.

There was no help for us in those days.  As children, there was no one to talk to, to confide in, or express our inner feelings to. We had to keep our grief to ourselves for fear of upsetting one another.

We were lucky we had a strong mother who was able to support us and who has been an inspiration over the years, but equally who has made her own sacrifices.

It is because of this, that I feel very passionate about giving money for this birthday to a charity, amongst other things,  that helps children who are grieving, that offers support and a way to express themselves.  It gives them an opportunity to talk to others who are going through the same thing and is understanding of the pain that they are going through.

I know that there are so many needy charities and we all support those, but on this occasion I just wanted to help those who I can identify with, to make these difficult times easier to bear and help them to get through this dark period.

My children are very lucky, they have a wonderful father, who shares their lives with them.  My daughter will have her father walk her down the aisle.  These are things that we all take for granted.

Please help me to contribute to this charity by giving whatever you can to make my birthday mean something. 

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