Yesterday my daughter was looking for wrapping paper to back some of her school books in. She found an old sheet of Peppa Pig. But she did a funny thing; she turned the paper round so the white back of it was on the outside. I held my tongue and realised yet again it’s better not to question.

Thinking about that, I thought of how many times we hide who we are or how we really feel. I used to be pretty good at that until my disability took over and it was impossible to conceal. The days of appearing normal at the swimming pool or walking without a stick are long gone. But what does it matter? Showing your life to others is never as bad as you think. Because, you know what? Most people are kind and some even love you.

If someone else sees the real you, don’t forget that the difficult bits are just a small part of who you are. Think about a person you really care about: can you sum them up in a couple of words or are they much more complicated than that? See the people around you not in monochrome but in multicolour! Because that is what they are!

One of my favourite parts of the day is when I can pull the curtains over and no-one can see me. Maybe it’s time to open them wide, turn over the plain paper and show your true colours! I have discovered that being myself is so much less effort than pretending. You should try it sometime. 😊