Going through old posts on Facebook ,ye ye ye ,too much time on hand , that’s what I was doing. Try doing it. It takes back through so many days and years. Emotional roller coaster. How friends, family relationships have changed through the years. How kids have grown up so much. Its a living mirror of me through nearly a decade. The use of makeup is so much more now -it makes me look different. I did look younger and completely carefree. Now there is a certain maturity about me. Oh yes much older now even if I want to avoid the fact, truth shall prevail.

The one post I absolutely loved was a group photograph of playing Holi. Holi is the festival of colours played in India in spring so in March. Its warm there and the most fun part is playing with wet colours. Colours that actually dye the skin is mixed in water and thrown at each other, generally no allergy issues so not a problem at all. Well this particular year it fell on a weekend and we adults decided -lets do it. Some of the very correct ones started talking about the council, health and safety, noise -but a bunch of us and kids on our side were having none of it. That’s it, it was happening.

And happening it was, wear old clothes so they can be thrown if need be, carpets can’t be destroyed so sheets spread throughout the house. Extra towels arranged. Spare change of clothes-please bring. Super hot chicken curry prepared for afterwards.

Kids had heard about this but never played it. Ok look we can’t play in the house it will have to be outside. Get waterguns and slippers. Hyperactive nostalgic adults got outside mixed the colours and then we realised ,guys this is UK in March, weather and the water are so cold. Ah never mind- splash goes the first mug of colour, running around to not get splashed ,all quite warm now. Kids getting more hyperactive. Shouting , laughing , no issues of cold now. Even kids that were toddlers were all over the back garden. The slightly older ones were having the time of their lives as mums and dads were totally living their lives that day. Unstoppable. Such is the power of nostalgia.

Now the garden was all muddy- time to get cleaned up. Wait , wait- the all essential photographs, the most important bit , otherwise I wouldn’t be writing about this. Camera on the stand, timer on, smile now-click. Now get showers.Two showers for about five families. We will be ok. Just keep going one after the other. All cleaned and dried now.

Hungry-so hungry after this nearly an hour of running around. Puris- fried chapatis-yep goes so well with chicken curry with lots of Indian sweets. We all had a feast. So much love , so much laughter. This is the spirit of Holi. One of the best festivals for Indians. So this emotional upheaval today now leaves me with a little smile for the whole day.