The Year of Celebration

"My demons won today. I'm sorry." That was the last Facebook post from MarShawn McCarrel, who shot himself to death on the steps of the Ohio Statehouse last week. From the outside MarShawn was an outspoken, strong, determined black civil rights activist. He was a founder and organiser of the Black Lives Matter movement. He campaigned for social justice and against police brutality. He inspired many. He galvanised for change. From an outside perspective he was a perfect example of strength and fortitude.  But that's the problem with perspectives, they don't tell the full truth. He was strong. He did have fortitude. But his demons took him nonetheless. I'm not sure if everyone has demons. I know everyone has their problems, sadness, difficulties and challenges. That's the nature of life. I can only really see through my own eyes and I have some incredibly strong demons who are often pressing weights behind my back. Sometimes it feels like I'm st

It may be a cliche, but the beginning of a new year brings new beginnings. January 1st is just another day in the calendar, but for the vast majority of us it comes with resolutions, promises, ideas and inspiration. For me 2015 was the worst year of my life. I struggled to celebrate with everything that happened, much of which I haven't written about as it's too painful, but so far 2016 is remarkably better and I'm reexamining my life. I've been contemplating the day I began this blog in 2011. For those of you who haven't been with me from the beginning, it started as a challenge for myself to choose something to celebrate every day for a year. It came off the back of some difficult times. My father had passed away, as had my cousin Ken, my foot had been smashed and I'd had to learn to walk again properly, battling an addiction to painkillers and I'd been struggling with undiagnosed bipolar disorder. At the beginning of that year I had been called to t