Andrea Phillips Wanderlust & Wags www.wanderlustandwags.co.uk 07930 660888 travel@wanderlustandwags.co.uk dogs@wanderlustandwags.co.uk Wanderlust & Wags @wanderlust.and.wags.travel Independent Travel Consultant with Jamie Wake Travel Jamie Wake Travel is a trading name of Wake Enterprises Limited

Narcissistic personality disorder mother

A recent post by a friend about her upbringing got me to thinking about my own childhood. This is going to sound very disjointed as I remember things so please bear with me.

To the outside world, I had the perfect childhood. A pony to ride when I wanted to (even though he wasn't mine), holidays abroad every year, grammar school education, parents with their own business....the list goes on. I thought it was a normal way to live until, that is, I had my own children. I'm not looking for sympathy and I'm sure many of you have been through much, much worse. I'm not trying to belittle that, just put down in words what has been going around my head for years.

Smacks were a regular occurence in our house...smacks with hairbrushes, smacks with wooden spoons, smacks with shoes...whatever was to hand. I'm not saying I was the perfect child...far from it. I used to pinch money from my mum's purse and even stole spirits from the bar (we lived in a pub). I actually only stole the drink once...and got caught! Mum took me to the police station to teach me a lesson. I didn't do it again. My parents never sat us down to talk about things. You just did things, no questions asked or you got smacked! I remember taking money to buy myself some ice skates...I used to go skating at least once a week but she wouldn't buy me skates...not even for a birthday or Christmas. She DID buy me riding gear...stuff that I didn't need because at the time I wasn't going to shows. I never could get my head round being bought things I didn't want or need but thought that was the whole idea of Christmas...you just got what you were given regardless of what you 'asked Father Christmas for' and yes, I do know that makes me sound like an ungrateful brat.

Nothing to say...

 ...I just like the pic

When it's time...

I don't think there's ever a 'good' time to say goodbye to a family pet.  For many people, it's a decision they have to make to prevent that beloved animal from suffering, but how do you know when the time is 'right'?

This piece by Tara Parker-Pope in the New York Times aims to put pet owners' minds at rest.

The picture to the left has stayed with me for many years.  I first saw it on PostSecret about 10/11 years ago and it has haunted me ever since.  For me (and many of my friends) losing a pet is harder than losing a family member.  Your pets are dependent on you for everything and many people have a stronger bond with them than with their families.  You wouldn't leave a family member to die alone if you could help it, and pets are as much family members as humans, so why would you leave you dog or cat?