To be happy about. If I stop forcing myself to find good in everything, if too much grief and loss have taken over, or if you are just too tired then there is nothing to  work with.

The cherry trees have lost their petals but in between them, another tree with its own blossom has appeared: the hawthorn. As I noticed it I realised that there was something, a certain quality, that we all need. It’s the ability to be positive even when everything around us is failing.

I could make a list of the things that are currently out of my reach, like most of the coffee cups, the shelf with lentils on, even the front and back doors! I could give you a longer one of the things I can no longer do, like walking, jumping, reaching… But I’m done with…

However small they might appear, they might seem big to you.

Whatever is going on in your life, however you’re feeling, look back on all the gifts you have been given over the years and remember the giver.

I’m not talking about making the same mistakes over again. I’m thinking about someone else doing the things you used to do, but maybe doing them better.

It’s Easter Saturday and I am thinking about existing in a space after hard times and before restoration. I made the terrible mistake of remembering better times in my life and being sad they were no more. You know this: once you decide you are sad, it’s very difficult to cheer up. I wonder if…

It is a very changeable day weather-wise today. It’s been blue and sunny but then, hailing and grey. When your life is full of dark clouds, remember they can part. There is an interesting plant in my front garden that was covered in white blossom but now, the white is leaving and beautiful red flowers…

That’s me at the moment. I know sometime soon everything will settle but when you’re in the middle of chaos, it is hard to see.

When life is packed with stress and chaos, it’s crucial to hold onto the things that keep you grounded. For me, these past few crazy weeks, the arrival of freshly made ginger cake by two faithful women has been a steadying grace. I did joke that if we taste gingerbread when the building work is…