A QUICK, BUT HUGE, THANK YOU TO CATS PROTECTION’S CELEBRITY & INFLUENCER RELATIONSHIP MANAGER: ALICE, BEFORE LEAVING THE CHARITY…

“Don’t let the sun go down without saying thank you to someone, and without admitting to yourself that absolutely no one gets this far alone.”

Stephen King

Dear Alice,

Thank you!

Thank you for being one of the first, most Senior staff from Cats Protection to have faith in my ability to create content, faith in I’m NOT Disordered’s potential, and faith in the very real chance of success our collaborations could have.

One of my most favourite memories of our online relationship though, wasn’t about ‘work’ and collaborations… I remember contacting you in April 2021 after the loss of my first bunny; Pixie about the impact her death was having on my first rescue calico kitten; Emmy. There are not many people I would turn to in that situation – and especially not to ask for advice – but you were the one. I think this speaks volumes for our working relationship and for your passion and interest in the entirety of Cats Protection’s cause and the very reason you’re all here. Not a lot of charity staff have such a dedication and investment in both their career and responsibilities and the cause and work of the actual charity they’re working for too. It’s a rarity and something which really helps you to stand out as both incredibly special and incredibly important in Cats Protection and actually, in my blog’s entire journey too!

WHY I’M GRATEFUL FOR MY MAMA BEAR | HAPPY FATHERS DAY 2021

“If I know what love is, it is because of you.”

Hermann Hesse

I think this might actually be a I’m NOT Disordered first – a blog piece in celebration of Father’s Day! Of course, the most obvious reason for the lack of posts marking this Day is that my Dad is nowhere to be seen! So, in my opinion, if my Mum plays both roles; why shouldn’t she celebrate on both of the special Days devoted to parents? Having never written a post for Father’s Day, I feel the pressure that this piece should be really special; so hopefully I’ve accomplished that in talking about why I’m so grateful for my Mum…

My idyllic childhood:

When I was fifteen and the abuse began, it instantly felt as though so much of my time and energy was going into remembering those horrific six months that I didn’t have any effort left to dedicate to remembering all those years before it… This was so sad and disappointing because I knew my childhood had been so lovely and uneventful that I wanted memories of that time to comfort me on the occasions when I would remember the abuse.

A few times – and for multiple reasons – my Mum has questioned whether she’s given me a good childhood and a good upbringing. I honestly don’t think ‘yes,’ or words to that effect, will ever feel good enough and proportionate to just how good my childhood was. So, I’ve found the worthiest response is to assure her that when I eventually have children, I would want them to have the exact same childhood. I would want to bring them up the same way – with the same innocence, fun, generosity, kindness, love, laughter, and positivity.