Writing a blog post or something similar at the end of a year is a habit I’ve got into in the last few years. It helps me process what’s behind and dream about what’s ahead.

I feel like I say this every year, but this year has been a big one for our family with a lot of changes. Headlines of course are moving to the seaside and diving into the world of home education.

Absolutely nothing has gone as we thought it would. We have had to pivot, to lower and change expectations, to drastically adapt our lifestyle and to push back frequently against a system that seems catastrophically flawed.

I’m entering into 2025 pretty beaten up if I’m honest. It’s been a tough one where my limits, my abilities and my character have felt continually tested. There’s no doubt that I’ve surprised myself in areas, but in others I’ve felt like I’ve failed.

It’s been a year of feeling pretty out of control. I know and trust that God is a good God who loves us and has it all in hand, but that hasn’t stopped me from screaming into the abyss “what are you doing??”

I’m ready to head into a new year with a new perspective and a renewed purpose. I’ve seen what we’re capable of when the rug is pulled out from underneath us and I’ve seen the faithfulness of God again and again through it all.

Instead of writing a list of new year’s resolutions, I’ve decided to assign the word “intentional” to the year. Instead of letting life just happen, I want to try to be intentional in all I do, as much as I can. That encompasses everything from spending time with God, choosing what food I eat, time with the kids and our finances. I’m obviously hoping this intentionality will lead to positive results but I’m trying to avoid that being my goal. It is the intentionality and mindset that I want to work on.

How has this year been for you? Do you have a word you would choose for the next year?

Wishing you many blessings and much joy in 2025.

Neurodivergent, neurominority, neurospicy or neurosparkly.

Neuro-individual because all of our brains are different anyway.

There’s a certain magic in the different ways our brains experience life. Like many overlapping and intersecting realities, parallel universes on the same planet.

But life on Earth is geared towards the most common, the majority, the “typical”. But don’t let your language trip you up and make you say “normal”.

Because the opposite of normal is abnormal, wrong, strange, weird. But there’s nothing wrong with being created in a different way to you.

It adds colour, rainbow and contrast in a world that could otherwise be grey.

So come round our house and you will see things you may consider “wrong”.

Like how we allow bouncing on the sofas, running back and forth and flapping of hands.

We will have books, toys, stickers and more of one particular subject. As our son’s intense interests are all consuming and change over time.

We have ear defenders, fidget toys and more than one bubbly fish lamp.

We have the same rotating plain meals, and  sandwiches and crisps are king.

Don’t be surprised by lots of noise, screaming, shouting and loud laughter.

There are moments of panic for us to soothe with touch, low voices and counting.

We don’t do many of the things “normal” families do, but we have our own achievements, which might seem so small to you.

You may disagree with how much time our kids spend on screens. Or think our boy’s hair is too long, or that he should be in school.

But you don’t understand, or can’t understand, how the things that don’t bother you can cause a child real upset or even physical pain.

So I’m sorry if we don’t attend your event, if a playdate isn’t really possible. Sorry if our boy needs to run upstairs. Or if he shouts at you for saying something “wrong”.

We’re trying to work out how life should look for it to be good for us all.

So there’s compromise, there are experiments, lots of research and mistakes.

If you are patient and stick with us, just give it a little time.

Then you will see the magic often hidden away in such a beautiful mind.