Here are my answers to this week’s SYW from Di

Would you like to relive parts of your childhood?
There are aspects of my childhood that I have a better understanding of now that I am an adult, but going back to relive it and behave differently would not work – I was a child and acted like a child so why go back and be grown-up about it? Lessons have been learned and that’s as it should be.

 Did you believe in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy?
Absolutely. I was a wide-eyed dreamer, completely immersed in a world of magic and make-believe. For the first eight years of my life, those delightful myths were part of my reality—until curiosity got the better of me. I asked my grandmother for the truth, and oh, the heartbreak! Her gentle confession shattered the illusion, and I realized I’d been playfully deceived all along.

Was there a childhood habit you never grew out of?
No, I don’t think so. I used to be a notoriously picky eater, and some might say I still am—but that’s not quite true. These days, it’s more about making mindful choices for my health. If I could indulge freely, I absolutely would!

Were you part of a large family or an only child?
I’m the second-born in a pack of four siblings: one older brother to blaze the trail, and two younger ones—my sister and brother—to follow in delightful chaos. But for a while there was more! At one point, we had three families living in what I considered perfect harmony in a seven-bedroom penthouse on top of a block of flats. My grandfather had died and the two married sons, my dad and his older brother, returned from afar to sort out the family business. Our grandmother still had two younger sons at home and Dad and his brother brought wives and three kids each! (In the end only one of the sons ended up running the business!) But the point of this story is that there was riotous chaos, which we kids thought was wonderful, while the parents sorted out the finer details.

Eventually, we graduated to a downstairs flat—still close enough to the cousins upstairs to keep the fun alive. Then, just as my younger brother made his grand entrance into the world, we levelled up again to a house of our own. And by the time he was six and I was thirteen, we were living in a mountainside haven each with a room of our own. The cousins moved on too,but we remained close right into our teens.

Gratitude:

When I was growing up, there were times when I thought I had a tough life compared to my friends. However, in retrospect, I realise I had the most amazing childhood and would not change a thing about it. My parents were kind and loving people who welcomed everybody into their home and always stretched dinner to include an unexpected guest. Perhaps they set me too good an example because I find it hard to say no to extra people in my home or to drop everything to help others. I vowed to have only one child and ended up raising five – only one of which I gave birth to! Regrets? Absolutely none! Life has certainly had its ups and downs but I have survived every hiccup along the way and thrived in the good times. My family have always been supportive and I have enjoyed every stage of my life. For this, I am extremely grateful.