If you are feeling down..here is some thing to make you smile and think that good things do happen in this world!

A five-year-old boy dressed in a Spider-Man suit became a real superhero in Brazil when he saved a baby girl from her burning home.

While playing in his back garden with a friend, Riquelme Maciel spotted smoke coming out of the wooden house's windows and ran to tell the baby's mother, Lucilene dos Santos.

But Ms Santos was too afraid to enter the blaze, so it was down to young Maciel to step in and save the day - he rushed into the burning house and grabbed baby Andrieli from her cradle.

The Fire Department Chief Jose de Macedo praised the boy's bravery, and much like his hero Spider-Man, Maciel became the talk of the town.

His face made it to the cover of all the local newspapers and he no longer needs the red and blue costume to be recognised.

Maciel said he is now dreaming of becoming a fire-fighter so he can save more lives.

I had a very interesting conversation with a lady in a Coffee Shop the other afternoon, over the meaning of "Normal".

What is normal?

Oxford English Dictionary: • adjective 1 conforming to a standard; usual, typical, or expected.

Does that help?

I have always been told l'm different, not normal, quirky and way out! All because l am artistic or because l didn't and don't follow fashion etc....! I was once told l didn't fit into any of the expected Boxes!!! What boxes l wanted to ask, l was about 8 at the time. The best piece of advice l was ever given concerning boxes was from an Art Tutor at college. She told me that as long as l thought out of the box l'd be o.k but if l started to conform and tried to fit inside this "box"...l'd fail. GOOD ADVICE. If you are a star shape or oblong... how can you fit in a square box? So l suppose l don't fit the norm expected of "A Therapist"... but that's o.k because what does a therapist look like? how do they talk etc. I wear 2 different earings, my hair is longer on one side than the other...need l go on ?.......Still no wiser to what "Normal" really means!

Did you know that 1 in 4 of us will have some sort of mental illness in our life time? I feel that we are all individuals, so how can a person with mental heath problems be treated the same as the next mentally ill person? o.k. you can have the same label but act differently. That is why l think each person should be able to have a therapist that suits them. Unfortunately in the NHS that isn't so easy. There are not enough Therapists to go round and not enough money to help either.
We are a Mulit Cultural society and l think that must cause problems too. From my own life experiences l know how different people are from region to region let alone country to country. So finding a Therapist that understands your rituals, language etc is often difficult. As a person who say ...has anxiety problems..seeing a Therapiste who doesn't understand your culture or language puts even more pressure on the poor patient. I don't speak other languages ...but...hand jestures and using Art often gets over the language barrier. I lived and worked all over the world and been lucky enough to be able to study many cultures. I also know how difficult it is to be ill in a strange country and not to be able to explain how you feel because you don't have the words. Any form of Mental Health problems is distressing, add language and cultural differences on top and life gets very difficult indeed.

Positive thinking!

SMILE

I have decided to- day is the first day of Summer...l kid you not! There is enough gloom and doom around these days to make everybody sad! So..sunglasses on everyone, sun hats at the ready and pour yourself a large one! No ...the drugs for my flu haven't take over..l am trying to be positive!!!

Strange word that positive. Not many people use, or they use it as in "not" positive. If at least 10 mins a day you try to have a positive out looked on problems and life...could make your day seem quite good.

For instance..."It is so dull and wet today!" instead.."It is rainning and miserable but at least the ducks are happy!!! " OR

"Dam the post came to day and my card isn't there"..instead "No post today..hurray no bills!"

See what l mean??!!

SO......thought fot the day...Always take your weather with you!!!!!!

been busy..sorry!

Sorry it is a long time since l blogged on this site! I have been working very hard trying to get my counselling services up and running. that is now up and running..so l intend to try and write something on here every few days. In the mean time....went to Tate Modern today to see "The Crack" every one is talking about. Will discuss tomorrow..but here are a few images to keep you interested. Also what do you think of Tate Modern and do you think places like this are great to get children interested in Art? And...do you think they should get help from tax payers and the National Lottery??? talk late. Oh!!!! appears l can't upload images to-night..the site won't let me..do it tomorrow.

Stressed Mums.

Today in the newspaper, there is a lot more news on the McCanns missing daughter Madeleine. If there are any mums reading this please take note! In the mother's dairy she wrote how hard she was finding the daughter and the twins!!! Wow! Breaking news! Most mothers find looking after children is often stressful and tiring...especially if they are also working. Also bare in mind it is a daughter and twins in a very short space of time!!!
The myth of "beautifully calm and joyful" motherhood is one that still seems to be well and living in the minds of newspaper men! Babies and children are hard work but wonderful at the same time. When one writes a dairy it is normally to get rid of your frustrations, so you don't take them out on others or because you feel unable to tell anyone how you feel.Maybe because you feel guilt, others may have told you ,you won't cope because you are too old or young or may be you are worried that social services may hear and also think you are not coping! Either way...dairies are normally private, personal and a help to feeling more in control. O.K. sometimes it is a cry for help but in this case l feel it was a way of sorting out her feeling.

Mothers are often trying to be perfect in the World's eyes. A perfect wife, a perfect mother, a perfect daughter and daughter-in-law, a perfect friend and be perfect at their job. Even if you are not working that is still quite a list. On top of that many women are having to cope as lone parents. It's no wonder these days women feel so pressured. I see many women and couples in my practice that are finding day to day life stressful and this is effecting their marriages, home life and Ask for help! I am aware that so many people live away from their families or even their own countries. If you feel you are unable to talk to family members, community nurses of friends...try a counsellor or therapist..talking is a start!.

I have found out through my work as a therapist, Life Coach and photographer... life can be fun...if you are prepare to let it! By that l mean life is complicated enough with out human's trying to make it harder. Money is often the reason people are not happy. Believe me money is very useful but not always really the answer. You can spend time with your partner and or children with out spending any money. A walk or a visit to gallery or museum. O.k l know the not every one lives near a park or a gallery but there are other things. What ever happened to playing games after dinner or in the afternoon or just going for a walk to pick conkers? I have just been listening to some 30something women talking about how much they spent in this Summer holiday! I was amazed. Even if you are working, spending time with the children on days off or wkends should be quality time not MONEY time surely!I have had children, so l do know how difficult it is to find free things to amuse them with. On the other hand, if they don't learn how to amuse themselves..we, as a nation are really in trouble. I think this is already happening. Bored and unmotivated children spell trouble.
It was different when my 30something children were young but just as difficult. Now there are Breakfast Clubs, After School clubs, Dance classes, mini yoga,Art classes and Saturday Clubs..when do children see their parents? O.k l hear all you working parents shouting at me! But honestly is "Keeping up with the Jones" )in some cases), is it worth you not seeing your children's childhood? I appreciate there are a lot of parents out there that have no choice but to the others...think about it Please.

Question: Is this self harming? I am having a discussion with another counsellor/therapist who thinks it is. I tend to think of it, as showing your individuality, wanting to be different. O.k...sometimes it goes deeper than just decoration and into more complex issues but on a day to day basis ..it is also Art and / or Fashion!
Can l have some feed back on this...if anyone is reading this?