…But don’t worry I haven’t taken off all my clothes, in spite of the seductive lyrics that Nelly once sang. I think I am less enticed because I couldn’t understand why his signature style included a plaster on his face? I just don’t think First Aid is sexy, practical and necessary yes but glam and cool no. But because I am fully clothed I am sitting here a sweaty mess, eating a kit kat chunky which has come from my husbands suit pocket (so must have been purchased last year at the earliest)…yup it went out of date 2 months ago, and yet I will finish it because I am committed, and have a slightly unhealthy obsession with chocolate!

So imagine me, if you will, in my sweaty chocolate state-or maybe not if you want to stay friends with me.

Anyway I am here to say I am so fortunate to have the best people in my life.

Seriously, I may have a houseful of clutter to sort, a filing system that can at kindest be described as ‘quirky’, a serious lack of financial independence, and have forgotten how to drive (this will be changing shortly) and how to knit (sorry Christine) and how to internet bank (my mum has a fear of it and I think she has passed it on)-But bloomin heck I have the best friends, like premium, top shelf (not in that way….), the creme de la creme!

I mean seriously…you are the BEST. And here’s a few examples of why:

• For supporting me in my fancy dress aims, which always had grand visions and a more ‘interesting’ reality. Whether it was painting yourself green with poster paint to be a dragon, or dressing up as a gnome for a silent ‘G’ party (with beard, fishing rod, and watering can with drinks in), or helping me weave plastic snakes into my hair for medusa, helping me get home when I was a gorilla (the worst decision for fancy dress when you’re 17 and have just started college) or joining me in being a dragon in a bra, green leggings and a cardboard nose as we paraded around Bristol. Big Props go to Martin for joining Bex and I in this endeavour!
• For being willing to help fundraise for a million different charities; for turning up in your droves to music nights, ceilidhs, Fair trade tea parties, protests, sponsored bounces, walks, runs and silences (Yes I once did a sponsored silence). For listening to me go on about causes and projects, even though you were probably the person who introduced me/educated me on the issue in the first place.
• For watching crap TV with me….from obsessing over Save by The Bell on Saturday morning, to wanting to be as cool as Moesha on Trouble after school, to Dawsons Creek getting me through my late teens and a million other shows between then and Love Island.
• For the cards/letters in secondary school even though we saw each other every single day.
• The exciting post now when it comes.
• For helping me celebrate every little festival I can get my hands on-I have adopted many into my fold. DISCLAIMER: I mean like Thanksgiving and Passover, I would love to say I am trendy and have been to loads of music festivals…sadly its not true, I’ve been to about 3-and 2 of them were very small, practically unknown…and not in a cool way.
• For bearing with me when I ask direct questions about personal matters-I am still learning social boundaries, and I appreciate questions on your fertility process whilst you’re at work may not be appropriate.
• For running around and just laughing whether in corn fields, parks, beaches or the woods, or any open space.
• For joining in with me rather than hanging up when I called you on the University internal phone system and sang the lyrics to ‘Never Ever’ without saying anything else.
• For the pilgrimage to Dollywood one summer, and the regular ones made to Lyme Regis in my teenage years.
• For going on theme park rides even though you were freaking out about the height, drop and spins! For terrifying, near death experiences on the log flume.
• For going on walks whatever the weather.
• For supporting my coffee shop addictions from Starbucks in my teen years to cool independents in Brighton to anywhere that serves good coffee now.
• For dancing on coffee tables with me to Whitney and Tina, and crawling on the floor to Destinys child, and pretending I could break dance by dancing with me to Run DMC and dancing in the rain and thunderstorms in Brazil and Rwanda.
• For talking about sex, identity, faith and beliefs, politics, our bodies, anger, waxing, crap TV, serious documentaries, emotional wellbeing, mental health, why squirrels and ducks are great, why Dolly is amazing, how its all connected…or for listening to me when I rant on.
• for helping me with my make up and to feel good about how I looked.
• For picking up the phone when I sometimes cannot get the words out, and for just being with me when I have nothing left to give.
• For praying for me, or for understanding that prayer is something really important to me even when I don’t understand it.
• For feeding me chocolate and pic’n’mix and wine and gin.
• For the holidays spent in the arcade, or the summer camps spent larking about in a field.
• For listening to me sing or do fake celebrity interviews in the mirror and not taunting me for the rest of my life.
• For the ridiculous stories we made up and stories we became part of.
• For accepting my apology when I have overstepped the mark, and for challenging me when I have not always realised it.
• For the house parties and the helping tidy up after the house parties.
• For letting me crash at your house-and esp for those where I stayed longer than we were expecting.
• For the car journeys, whether crammed in the back of a mini, or in a jeep waving at the people behind us or singing along to Galaxy 101.
• For helping me overcome massive changes, and for helping me become a better wife, mum, friend and person.

I love you and I am so grateful