Hello all 💙 I wanted to invite you to have a cuppa and cake with me, any time on Sunday 18th May as part of the global event 'Blue Sunday - The Tea Party for M.E'

It's one of my favourite days of the year, loving created and organised year on year by my wonderful friend Anna. People join in from all over the world to help those of us living with M.E to feel less alone, while raising awareness, and (if you can afford it), vital funds for M.E charities.

Anna's incredibly inclusive event has raised over £100,000 for M.E charities since 2013, which an absolutely staggering amount. The money raised by Anna's annual event goes such a long way towards helping people with M.E, all while creating a wonderful sense of community, togetherness and helping us to feel less alone, and less invisible.

How you can join in

You can join in from bed, from the comfort of your own home, pop out for cake or have your own little tea party in the (hopefully) sunshine.

Take some pics to share and connect with me on the day, I would love to see your pictures, swap a message and virtually hang out with you! If you have social media you can post your pics and use the #'s #BlueSunday2025 and #TeaPartyForME2025

I will also post on my Instagram page and you're welcome to tag me in your pics.

You can also follow along on the day using:

• Instagram @theslowlane.me

• Facebook @theslowlane_ME

My Charity for 2025

My chosen charity this year is Smile for ME who are an incredible little charity who do wonderful things to help put smiles on the faces of those with M.E and their Carers, and raise awareness through their "share a story". It was founded in 2012 by Alice, a young person with M.E who wanted to make a real difference to people living with M.E. and help make them feel less alone through surprise post (who doesn't love surprised post!)

Some of my closest friends are the most wonderful people with M.E, and I am endlessly thankful for them, their friendship and our community for helping me through the darkest times. I think it's so lovely that there is a charity dedicated to improving the lives of people with M.E, one Smile at a time 🩵

I have been nominated by friends for Merryn's Smile Day Smile (an annual event when Smiles are sent to people with Severe and Very Severe M.E, in memeory of Alice's best friend Merryn Crofts who sadly passed away from M.E in 2017). Receiving my surprise Smiles has brought me such much joy during really tough times. It's also been amazing to nominate loved ones for their own surprise Smile, to help them feel loved and appreciated.

You can find out more about them and the incredible work they do here: https://www.smileforme.org.uk/

https://www.smileforme.org.uk/shareastory/

All of the money raised on my page will go towards Anna's overall 2025 total.

My Blue Sunday plans

My body hasn't been coping too well with eating food lately, but I am still planning to have a little picnic in bed, and connect with my friends throughout the day. I hope you can all join me and share your Blue Sunday set up with me. I will wear something, lay in blue bedding, hopefully eat cake (if symptoms allow), and think about people with M.E, keeping those who are too poorly to join us for Blue Sunday in my heart.

My M.E Story

It has been almost 10 years since I got sick and never got better (although I suspect I had mild undiagnosed M.E for a year or so prior, alongside other chronic illnesses). I'd love to say I'm "used to it", but I'm very much not and I'm still continually adjusting to my post M.E way of life.

A diagnosis of M.E (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) at any severity is completely life changing. At it's "best" it takes away 50% of a persons pre illness functioning, and at it's worst, it kills.

I live with a number of Chronic illnesses, but M.E is the worst of them all and unfortunately the least known, least funded, and least understood by medical professions and the general public. My daily symptoms and M.E severity have continued to worsen throughout the years, most recently in 2022 after a Covid infection and then in 2023 when the worst and most life changing relapse began and eventually violently catapulted me into the absolute hell that is Severe M.E.

My Severe M.E is on the milder end of the Severe M.E spectrum and not as sick as those with more Severe and Very Severe M.E and yet I am severely disabled. I have never returned to my pre 2023 baseline and I am predominantly bed bound, unable to work, and need help with almost every aspect of daily life. M.E has taken away some of my friendships, my career, and my ability to feel any emotions (good or bad), or do anything at all without payback. It has decimated the hopes and dreams that my husband and I shared, and stolen my ability to make precious memories with friends and family. It has completely impacted my ability to live outside my bedroom, to talk, think, eat, sleep, listen to music, read or concentrate.

Because my health has continued to decline throughout the years, there has been, and continued to be a lot of understandable grief and fear. But, there is joy too, and a real appreciation of the every day little things, alongside never ending gratitude for the support and love shown by close family and friends 💙🫂

More about Anna & her Tea Party

I am so lucky to have found a friend for life in Anna. She is an actual gem of a human who has helped me through some of the darkest times.

Anna manages her own M.E while being an incredibly caring friend and advicate for the M.E community. Anna puts so much precious time and energy into organising, spreading the word about this event and bringing so many of us together every single year.

You can read more of Anna's story and the history of Blue Sunday here: https://the-slow-lane.com/blue-sunday/

This weekend in May gives so many of us something wonderful to look forward to. A real sense of together-ness ....even if we are miles apart. And it's a brilliant way to raise much needed funds for M.E.