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October 24, 2017
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October 25, 2017The Six Word Mum: Bernie Martin
This week The M Word would like to introduce Bernie Martin. Bernie’s writing inspiration comes from a tsunami of emotions brought on by her children and the fact she herself is an emotional person. Inspired by others around her Bernie is an avid watcher of peoples behaviours their psychology fears and dreams.
Bernie adopted the role of CF campaigner when her young daughter was diagnosed with CF at the young age of three weeks old. Her life now is a rollercoaster of nebulisers and campaigns and just adoring the bones of her charismatic strong little girl.
Bernie’s super power would to be able to clone herself. Each Bernie to be given a role, it would certainly ease the hectic days for Bernie and her family.
‘Calling Bullshit on: Special children are only sent to special parents’ was the quickest and easiest piece Bernie has written. It was a rant, or so she thought, that touched more people than she could ever have imagined. This piece has made it around the world and back again, it was shared thousands of times. Bernie was inspired by her daughter and how their lives have changed since her diagnosis of CF.
Bernie’s motto in life is ‘ You deal with what life throws you’.
Describe Motherhood in six words?
Overwhelming. Emotional. Inspiring. Intense. Defining. Life-changing.
What inspires your writing?
My flood of emotions, which is mostly brought on by my children and the intensity they bring to my life! I’m an emotional being and if I don’t process how I’m feeling then I feel like I’m drowning. I’m also greatly inspired by people in general – their behaviours, their psychology, their fears and their dreams. I love digging for human insights and I enjoy trying to reframe how we look at things.
What’s your story?
Career-girl turned campaigner-for-change. My life and its entire purpose changed forever when my little lady was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at three weeks old. She is the most magnetic, inspiring and infectious person I’ve ever had the pleasure of loving and her innocence and goodness have taken over every cell of my body, spurring me on to do better and be better. My story revolves around advocating for her health and wellness to give her every opportunity to write the best version of her own story.
Whose writing do you admire and why?
Roald Dahl. I was obsessed with his books when I was a kid and my own son is obsessed with them now too. He had such timeless creativity and imagination. I’ve wished I could write like him since I first read him. My favourite Dahl quote is: “…if you have good thoughts it will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.” Now there’s a thought to admire and live by.
If you had a super power for just one day only what would it be and what would you do with it?
I have no intense desire to fly or become invisible or shoot laser beams out of my eyes (although some would say I do that already, ha!) But oh to be able to clone myself! A Bernie to stay on top of my daughter’s nebulisers and physiotherapy, a Bernie to cook and clean, a Bernie to play with the kids, a Bernie to campaign for better CF care and a Bernie to write a children’s book that would make Roald Dahl proud. I know you said one day only, but I have selective hearing (I caught it off my kids!).
Which story are you most proud of and what inspired you to write it?
It would have to be ‘Calling Bullshit On…Special Children Are Only Sent to Special Parents’. It was probably the fastest I’ve ever written a piece. I had no real plan with it – I was just having a rant and getting something out of my system. I didn’t really think about how it might be controversial or how it might help people express their own unspeakable thoughts. I certainly didn’t think it would be shared around the world. To be honest, I’m glad I didn’t overthink it or perhaps I’d never have written it! Like most of my musings, it was inspired by my daughter and how our lives have changed since her diagnosis. The truth is that any of us could have a child with a diagnosis – we’re not ‘Specially Selected’ like a steak from Aldi. You deal with what life throws you. You step up. You do that out of intense love for your child, not because of a divine calling.
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