The best moment in your life

Someone recently asked me what was the best moment in my life, and I thought about it and realised how blessed I am to have so many to choose from.

Of course, the birth of my three kids were amazing, I think especially my first son as it was that life defining moment when I became a mother.  The kids changed our lives forever, they are just the best three people, they are smart, funny, loving, caring, sensitive and have beautiful souls, we couldn’t be prouder of them all and there are thousands of memories of amazing moments through their lives that have brought me so much joy.

My wedding days, yes multiple! We married in Las Vegas at the Viva Las Vegas wedding chapel by Elvis which was so much fun. And then we renewed our vows after ten years in a ceremony at home in our garden. Both of these were so special.

At our first wedding, we booked this amazing suite at the MGM grand, it had a hot tub and the biggest bed I’ve ever seen, it was super romantic. We had two kids when we married, Charlie was 3 and Ellie was 15 months old, the day of the wedding Ellie was sick, she’d cried all day and just wanted to be held and it was so stressful! My mum was supposed to be having them overnight so we could have a wedding night alone but she called to say she couldn’t cope with Ellie being poorly and so we picked up both kids. Our wedding night was spent with the kids playing in the hot tub and then all four of us ordered room service, got in the huge bed and watched Peter Pan. I suppose some might think it ruined things, but honestly, that moment of snuggling together and for the first time all having the same surname was perfect.

Our wedding renewal was one of the best days of my life, it was just perfect and I wish I could relive it! It was heaven, but there was a moment when all the guests had gone home (or passed out in the house!), it was quiet, 3am and after a whirlwind of a day, it was finally just me and Timm, I took off my shoes and got muddy stockings, Timm got a blanket and two glasses of champagne and we laid in a hammock together under the stars. That moment was pretty wonderful.

But there is one moment that is just my favourite. It’s the moment where if I had to live forever in it, I think I’d be happy.

Timm and I went to Vegas for a friends wedding a few years ago, we flew into LA and drove to Vegas. We stopped a night in a place called Pioneertown, Timm had been there before when he was touring and was desperate for me to see it. We got there late at night and so there wasn’t much to see, there’s one tiny motel and we crashed in bed exhausted.

We woke super early, it was still dark but jet lag kicked in and we were wide awake. Timm grabbed his jeans and I pulled on my boots and a hoodie with my nightie and we went outside as the sun started to rise. As we left our room I got my first glimpse of this amazing view, we were in the desert and I looked out on a street that could have been straight out of an old school western movie.

We went to the back of the motel and all we could see was sand, cacti and the biggest sky I’ve ever seen. There was so much sky, and as the sun slowly rose, it was every shade of pink and orange, no artist has ever painted anything as beautiful as that sky. We sat on a rock, hand in hand in silence, just watching the most perfect sunrise over a vista of empty space. No cars, no buildings, no people, just silence, nature and beauty.

I looked back and found I had taken a picture of this morning, it’s not the best! We both look ever so tired and a bit rough and it doesn’t do the view justice at all!! But this is it, this is my best moment.

If there was one place I could go back to, Pioneertown would be it.  Ive had such a tough few years, five surgeries and one more to go, all the treatments and recovery, the anxiety, the depression… There have been times where I just didn’t know whether I would make it, but in the darkest of times thinking about the joy and love at the Pioneertown Motel kind of kept me going.  We plan to go back, I am not sure when, it is hard to plan too much when you are in and out of hospital but one day, Timm and I will be back under that sky.

I did some meditation recently and it suggested you imagined a place of peace, beauty and happiness and as I closed my eyes, my mind went straight to that moment, that place, that perfect moment.

What is your best moment? Let me know.

Sam xx