At the weekend I returned to the town where I was born and drove along the main A229, which runs through the middle. Along the way, certain landmarks caught my eye, and brought very clear memories of life there. I drove past the office where my mother briefly worked, the bus stop where Teresa joined us and left us at the top of Linton Hill, the turning that led to the house we lived in at the turn of the millennium, my favourite of all our homes. Fortunately, the happy memories leave the strongest impressions for, despite ups and downs, each memory made me smile.

Happiness is such a powerful emotion, and it keeps us positive and creative; we achieve our dreams when we are joyful. One of our greatest lessons to learn is to maintain joy, even if we have seemingly insurmountable obstacles ahead of us. Like attracts like. If we feel down, we pull heavy thoughts, feelings and events towards us that push us down further. A joyful heart flies, and attracts more joy to us. Even if something "negative" crosses my path, I take a deep breath and think of something happy to dislodge the low feeling. Somehow, having learned to do that, life seems to run smoothly and happily.

In those low times, digging out the cheery memories can be amazingly uplifting. Remembering alone is fantastic, or digging out the photo albums and videos lets the whole family join in.

I have pictures of me taken last year, when I was unwell. Looking at them now, I can see a clear difference between then and now. Part of me wonders whether to bin them, or to hold onto them to remind me of how much I am improved. I had an undiagnosed thyroid problem which is now being treated. I shall probably hold onto them for a while, as I can feel pleased I am now far healthier. If they start to make me feel bad, out they will go!