We all know that familiar sinking feeling. When the laptop that doubles as a lifeline starts to play up. Slowing down, becoming unreliable. It starts to crash frequently and then one day, nothing. You can’t switch it on, a virus has wiped the data and thrown you out. Sometimes it’s reversible, but not always. Online…
The feeling had been stirring for a few weeks. Not a crippling emotional pain but a nagging sense of discontent. Nothing was quite going to plan. Cancelled work, stretched finances. Tired children, nagging doubts. And above all else, the dawning realisation that nobody really cared. Trying to speak It was the ongoing battle that tipped…
A twist of fate, a wrong decision, a stroke of bad luck. All of a sudden, you find yourself face to face with an almighty struggle. One unpaid invoice leads to rent arrears and a mountain of debt. Then, a charity may be your only hope. A food bank, or an organisation that helps people to get…
Within the daily struggle of parenthood, being me has become my biggest battle. Last week, I was looking at my children playing at my feet when I had a sudden moment of realisation. I spend an inordinate amount of time with my head down. Watching the girls, looking at my laptop or phone, preparing food….
Waking in a panic in the early hours of the morning has become normal. The overdraft limit is looming yet again, as it does for freelancers everywhere. But this time, it’s different. It’s not about lack of work, because I’ve got plenty. A small company or an individual unable to pay hasn’t caused the problem….
The girls cuddled up on the sofa under a blanket clutching their bags of popcorn. My concerns about spending the evening cleaning it up off the floor slowly dissipated. Their trusty dog lay at their feet, ready to hoover up any stray scraps before they became part of the carpet. And I realised we should…