04/09/2026
This summer was a time of reflecting on our journey as a family.
Some of the exercises from my death doula course, inviting us to connect with our roots and the land, encouraged me to revisit Norwich — the place where all of my children were born, and where we lived for nearly 10 years, until about 10 years ago.
Going back brought up so many memories — some beautifully nostalgic, and some unexpectedly tender.
The house where my eldest son was born.
The parks we went to so many times.
The roads I walked with my boys in a buggy.
The school where my eldest spent three years.
The shops where my toddlers had their tantrums — I can laugh about them now but I certainly couldn't back then!
The museums we loved and visited so often.
The airport where my parents used to arrive when they came to see us.
The university where my husband and I met, and where we later used to go for a children's playgroup.
My intention for this visit was to say thank you.
Thank you to the friends who supported me and helped me keep going when things felt too hard.
And thank you to the land for holding us at the beginning of our journey as a family.
It was such a strange feeling to return to a place where we had once been so vividly present, almost as if it were yesterday — but this time with our much more grown-up children.
Where has all that time gone?
And yet, I know it hasn't really gone anywhere. When I look back, I can feel that we have walked every step of these years.
I also feel that we were in the right place at the right time.
I feel a deep sense of gratitude to something bigger than ourselves.
And now, here we are again, at the beginning of another school year.
My eldest is entering his final year of school, while my youngest is beginning his final year at primary school.
Another reminder that seasons keep shifting.
I hope to be present for each moment of the next 10 years with my family, too.
