Olive

by Emma Gannon

Sometimes we don’t ‘know’ for sure, and maybe we never will, but we just have to live each day in the way that feels most natural to us. I feel a weight lift off my shoulders.

‘She’s right – it’s not as binary as two sides of a coin; we all just make decisions as we go along.’

Women are made to feel guilty for everything. The food we eat, the bodies we have, the relationships that don’t work out. We must accept the challenge and refuse to take on this guilt.’

Some people die too young. Some people die old. Some people get what they want. Some people never get what they want. Some people have different priorities, different dreams. Some people change their minds in small ways, some do a total 180. We’re all out here, making up our lives as we go along. There is no ‘better’ path. There is no ‘worse’ path. Each of us tries our very best to get through the weeks, months and years using what we have and what we were given, and the rest of it is just down to sheer luck. We make our own family – kids, friends, pets, neighbours, strangers, passions, memories – and we can shape other people’s lives in so many ways. Leaving something behind isn’t just about having a child who will roam the earth after you’ve gone. A legacy is made up of everything you’ve ever done. It’s

everything you leave behind. It’s every choice you make. It’s every person you meet. It’s every feeling you’ve passed on. It’s every story you tell.