Finding Joy in the Small Things

When the big things feel too heavy to carry

Photo by Federico Respini on Unsplash

In the midst of all that's going on in the wider world, I sit down to write. Living in this uncertainty, and the fact that we’ve had builders in (again), I’m desperate to see the good in the world again. As I sit down to write, the latest instalment of Savour, gardening writer Alice Vincent’s newsletter, was waiting for me. She’s doing a small things special this week, observations of small moments of good. Her story tells of a moment of kindness between two strangers on the London Underground. Inspired by her quest to find beauty in the small things, this week I have collected my little things.

Sourdough crumpets covered in warm berries, yoghurt and honey. A dish that reminds us of the weekend we stayed in a B&B in Oswestry in Shropshire en route to collect a little puppy that would become such a big part of our lives. The weight of that dog on my lap, the feeling of her soft fur on my fingertips.

The moment you turn around to see a blazing orange sunrise on a Monday morning, glowing through the foggy mist. The surprise of a warm and sunny afternoon after a cold damp morning. Sitting in that afternoon sun reading Bernadine Evaristo’s Manifesto On Not Giving Up. Soaking in the wisdom and understanding that things take time.

The anticipation of a book arriving in the post and the possibility it could bring. Fairy lights above my desk on a dim morning. The anticipation of a weekend with friends, of holidays to come and adventures to be had.

For every big thing that seems overwhelming and insurmountable, there are so many little things that bring joy every day. I’m curious, what are yours?

I’m reading Manifesto On Never Giving Up by Bernardine Evaristo Soaking up the wisdom that things take time you just need to keep going.

I’m listening to the audiobook of Almost Everything Notes on Hope by Anne Lamont. As she explores life’s essential truths.

I’m off to Cheltenham literature festival this weekend and can’t wait to be out in the world surrounded by books soaking up some inspiration.