Hi guys. 🙂 You may have noticed that I recently popped up a “donation” button on my site…and I just wanted to explain a bit about that. So I’m sure a lot of you are aware by now, that I do suffer with multiple chronic illnesses (Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Costochondritis, Osteoarthritis, Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia (IST) and the list continues)…I’ve also recently been diagnosed with an undiagnosed autoimmune disease, yeah that sucks, believe me, it’s awesome being a human guinea pig…it’s seriously one of the worst feelings, being told you have an autoimmune disease but they can’t pinpoint exactly what it is…because all my symptoms are so vast…but hey, maybe it’s not even an illness they’ve come across before…I’m going true Tassi fashion… and they can just name the disease after me lol 🙄…Because of this, I’ve recently found a strong appreciation for the ARRC – Autoimmune Research and Resource Centre. It’s all about helping individuals live a life and not the illness. It’s a non-profit organisation, that purely runs off what the community donates…which is seriously so touching. You don’t always truly appreciate foundations like this, until you are in that very boat. But even so, it’s hard finding your place in a community like this, without actually having a titled diagnosis.

Anyways, so being chronically sick, I’m actually only living off a Pension…money can get pretty tight trying to keep up with Specialist visits and medications, whilst trying to make small changes in the house to assist with this sort of lifestyle. With that being said, my life revolves a lot around my family, books and my blog. So, a lot of time and effort does go into this…This is not me trying to make you guys feel sorry for me…so please do not feel pressured to hit that support button…but with life as is and my mum now applying for a carers pension…it’s just getting harder and harder to pay things off and to even keep the payment of having this site.

It just recently really hit me…when a person I was talking to, mentioned about my Pension and that I’m not really doing anything to technically earn it. I dunno about you guys…but that sort of flippant comment was pretty hurtful. It makes it sound like I’m deliberately slacking off and that I choose to live a life of an isolated, chronically sick person. Forgive me person, but I’d take going to work every day, if that meant I didn’t constantly have to be suffering and limited to what I can and can’t do. Sorry, I totally rambled (see it’s just an inbuilt terrible habit lol)…but basically, all of this really made me think about what I’m doing here, with this site, and what I’m trying to build with all you amazing book-lovers…and that we need to embrace what we do have.

Through this site, I really want to help open eyes, to the power of books and the escape they can bring…I want to maybe bring a little more awareness to people who struggle with an illness in their life. To be a voice, so to speak. I’m terrible at this kind of thing…because whilst I want others to be more understanding, what can I truly say that can make one understand or be more aware? I think, sometimes all we want is to be heard, to not have to explain ourselves…. and this blog, was made for one of my greatest passions, books…which is truly one outlet for whatever I’m struggling with…but it was also made to hopefully, bring a smile to someone’s face, that too could also be struggling…because sometimes, that small act of making someone smile is all we need to pull our pieces back together again…From what I’ve learnt from life, is the smallest act can bring about the biggest change.

I’ve practically rambled my way through here, there and everywhere…sorry about that…clearly, I had some things on my mind…but hopefully, you have semi followed and that you have understood my rambling thoughts. I just felt like I needed to explain a bit about how the “donation” button came about and get some things off my chest…

Obviously, I don’t want it to feel like I’m making you pay to read my Rambles, but if you love this site and what it brings to your life…whether that’s sharing the love and power of books around the world, entertainment value, book community etc…any support to help keep the love and passion of books flowing is what I’m all about…But sometimes that supporter also needs help.

Thanks for listening, guys.

Much love to you all x