Wednesday, January 01, 2020

What I am really thinking

I've been worrying about what I was going to write on the blog for New Year. Look, you know I try to be honest on here and that's why you say you like me, so...

I woke up to warm and loving New Year greetings, texts, tweets, emails, etc and my reaction was - But how can it be a happy new year? Right wing nationalism is sweeping from country to country and the world is literally on fire.

Then Dave came in the bedroom (he'd been up for hours, as always) and said what he always says about the new year - Why is a change of date significant? What is everyone making a fuss about? - and I tried, yet again, to explain.

Then he picked something up that was lying on the chest...something that he'd written and wrapped up and put in my Christmas stocking:





and I cheered up. He'd been in Bakewell on Christmas Eve, talking to our Big Issue seller, Sophia, and she'd hugged him and said 'And give a big hug to your wife.'

It was a such a lovely and surprising thing to find in my stocking. And now, I'm thinking about something I tweeted yesterday:


We never know what effect we have on other people and thus on the wider world. That's why we need to keep going, following our path, being ourselves, doing our best, even if our efforts seem small and insignificant.


And now I need to get going. We don't stay up till midnight at Hepworth Towers, we get up and go out at dawn. It used to be to feed the ducks in Bakewell. 




January 2010: Before the activity was frowned upon

but now the local authority frowns on that for ecological reasons, so we go for a dawn walk on the Monsal Trail. What could be better?






I wish you many, many small pleasures in 2020 and the stamina to keep on trucking in difficult times.


3 comments:

Sally said...

Wishing you and yours a happy & healthy 2020. Another great post to start the year. I'm a big believer in the importance of small simple pleasures in life.Sally

Anonymous said...

Through my teens I used to go with my parents to our Scottish friend’s New Year’s Eve parties which were just the best example of community and fun. (Made all the better because she was a caterer by trade so the food always was excellent ) No fireworks, no drinking to excess, just silly games suitable for all ages. These days we have two grandchildren overnight (who so far sleep through the noisy fireworks) so their parents can have a party. When we have time we look back over last years calendar and are thankful. Yesterday Rebecca got ridiculously excited about a unicorn plaster I supplied for a small cut on her leg. We also marvelled at a rose bravely flowering in our garden while we re-filled the bird feeders. Today over breakfast of chocolate porridge we watched the flock of birds attracted to the feeders. This is what I cling to for the year ahead. Small moments of delight. Reading your blog is also one of them. Wishing you and Dave (and everyone else who sees this) health and contentment for the year to come. Jenetta

Sue Hepworth said...

Hello Sally and Jenetta, thank you for coming back to the blog time after time, and thank you very much for your New Year wishes. I wish you the same.
Love Sue