What does it all mean?

I was born Leila (pronounced LIE-LAH) Gardner on the Thursday the 12^th of April 1984, by Caesar, on a date chosen by my mother, so that I wasn’t born on Friday the 13^th. And while it may sound like an overshare, there is a lot to be said of your birth experience and how it impacts the rest of your life. If you believe in the weird sciences. And I tend to flip flop between the weird sciences and the actual sciences. Just like my name is spelt like LAY-LAH, and pronounced like LIE-LAH.

Just like my name, I am complicated. And generally don’t fit into the boxes. I can be a lot for some people. And it’s taken me 30 some years to realise that that’s ok. I hope you’re all still reading, because I’m just getting started.

To describe myself, in one word, I would say: quirky. And I hope that this blog will give you some insight into my quirky world.

A world which I inhabit with my husband and two kids. My birth family is spread around the world, but I have a big family of inlaws who mostly live within 5kms of me. We like each other at least. And then there is my friendamily, made up of people that share my brand of crazy.

By day, I am a marketing “professional”. And that’s all I’d like to say about that.

By night, I’m everything else. I do a little ballet because I enjoy dance and I wanted to do contemporary, but it clashed with my son’s swimming. Hashtag momlife. I do a bit of writing. Not this blog only, but I’m writing a screen play and a novel. The plans/outlines of which mock me every day as they are above my dressing table. And then I try and fit in some running and some swimming and other fitness type things.

I used to consider myself a triathlete, but now the only tri sports I do are feeding my kids, bathing them and getting them ready for bed.

Also, I bring this up, because it’s a part of me, although I don’t allow it to define me is that I suffer with Anxiety, Depression and ADHD. And I hope I can share some insights of living with the triad of mental illness and my journey towards mental health. So while I am on this journey, of mental health, motherhood and other things, I hope I can share my life with you and maybe you’ll laugh, maybe you’ll cry, because you’re laughing so much. And maybe you’ll just think I’m weird but carry on reading anyway. But hopefully I’ll make you feel ok, and maybe I’ll inspire some of you. To do what, I dunno. But if you feel good then my work here is done.