Find a place where there's joy, and the joy will burnout the pain. Joseph Campbell
Growing up wasn't an easy time for me. I had four siblings, but for some reason my mum took a dislike of me from a very young age. Abuse became a part of my everyday life. There was no one to talk to and who would have believed me if I had? Times were a lot different then, but sadly, it does still happen in homes today. I look back and wonder how I knew how to find a way of coping - how to let my head escape the pain - emotionally and physically. Somehow, I did. I don't know if I believe in guardian angels, but if I did, I'd know that they were the reason I am still alive, because I did find that escape in nature. I don't have many memories of childhood, but I do have fond memories of my dad taking us for a walk through the local wood on a Sunday afternoon and I fell in love with nature. Of course, I was away from mum too and they were very special moments when I didn't have to be afraid of what she might do next, as she never came with us. But that feeling remaine...