Lisa Alabaksh met Denise Marshall in 1992 and what ensued was a whirlwind pf passion, pleasure and possibilites. The envy of all their friends they seemed to have achieved the mythical 'soulmate' ideal. They'd established careers, seen the world and jumped the metaphorical and physical broomstick. Nobody could have guessed that their story would change so drastically, in such a short space of time.
Facebook can at times be our dearest friend or greatest foe, so when Lisa turned to it to tell the latest chapter of her non-fairytale story, she knew she was taking a risk. But the story of her warrior woman just had to be told. And she knew she had to take these steps in her journey with her tribe, even if it meant it would be in full view of the world.
This was the time when her mantra of health and happiness and love and laughter (hahalala) would be put to the test. Beautiful, raw, heart wrenching and intense, but most of all real, this story will give you a front seat to one of the best love journeys ever told. How do you face your deepest fears in love? How do you hold on tight to a moon beam when you know dawn is coming? "It's a case of having to, my darlings ..."
Lisa Alabaksh is a former head teacher, community support worker and specialist foster carer who has lived in Haringey, North London for pretty much all of her 47 years.
She considers herself a feminist freedom fighter and is passionate about empowering young women and helping them to understand their worth. She helps boys to understand too.
After a diagnosis of MS in 2004, Lisa left teaching and began a new life path that has included stand-up comedy, life coaching and the creation of a new social movement – hahalala. Hahalala means health and happiness and love and laughter all.
Having healed many of her physical and emotional scars over the years, Lisa realised that we must start with ourselves and look after our hahalala in a conscious and daily way, starting with health and growing from there. Using the strapline “it’s a mood, it’s a mindset, it’s a moment”, Lisa has had thousands of 30 second conversations about how to be hahahlala with people all around the world. She has also worked in schools on hahalala projects. It is her way of life.
Connecting mind, body and spirit by connecting with herself and others, Lisa has worked out that if we all take time to nurture our hahalala, the world will be a better place. She has spent years promoting this as a way of life for everyone and is confident that it is the solution for the world.
Following the devastating death of her partner Denise Marshall in 2015, Lisa now lives with Lolly the cat and has found herself surrounded by a lovely group of young folk who she calls her hahalala petites She is slowly becoming used to being a widowed orphan who is surrounded by children and their wonderful love.
She still misses her girl in every moment.
As well as everything else that she loves in life, Lisa enjoys spending time in her healing garden where she sits making magic by the light of the moon.
“It’s a case of having to my darlings” is her first book.