Today, I’m suddenly aware of a need to pay attention to the space between things. My life lately is full of words: busy, worky words; the words of hard conversations about parenting; well-intentioned, kind words of encouragement and instruction; the words of news stories, emails and WhatsApp messages; social words, in person and online, with…
Lenny and the lost art of patience
Let me introduce you to Lenny, the leopard gecko. He’s the newest member of our family and, honestly, preparing for him, welcoming him and trying to take care of him has taken a huge amount of dedication, perseverance, and, above all, patience. First, we had to get a suitable home for him, full of suitable…
Small Things
Perhaps I will one day drive a camper van and go on road trips with my family. Maybe I will, at some point in my life, have a golden retriever to walk along the beach, before returning to my coastal cottage for a coffee. Perhaps I will one day achieve the dream of having an…
Writing Prompt: Freedom
When the furthest I can go is the local garage to buy milk, freedom is listening to my favourite music, putting the window down, and driving the extra minute to see the way the sun sparkles on the river. When those minutes in that car are limited, freedom is soaking in every moment, all the…
Easter
It is increasingly hard to write concisely and meaningfully about my faith in recent years. I’ve taken steps away from identifying with established Christianity, sickened by some of the ways it has been misrepresented and misused, saddened that it is good leaders who are the rare surprises, whilst abuse of power is what we have…
Small Things
Sometimes, it’s really, really important to celebrate the small things, and this evening feels to me like one of those times. This week, I am especially thankful for the garden, the act of growing things, and Spring evenings. Brightness and kindness: Someone surprised me with some daffodils and a kind message on my doorstep. Flowers,…
On Gardens and Wilderness, Fences and Open Space
It’s March, and colour is blooming. Light and warmth are mingling with cool, fresh air and drops of soft rain to grace our days again. I’ve got sweet pea shoots springing up everywhere, because I carefully cultivated some, while others self-seeded from last year. Daisies have popped up in with the winter jasmine, and I…
Winter Weekends (Small Things)
At its best, winter teaches us to appreciate the small things. It reminds us of the small pleasures of blankets, books and cups of tea; of brisk walks in the countryside; of being at home and getting together with loved ones. I didn’t want to miss these things this year, however busy or tired I…
January
January has a bad rep, as months go. Known as the long, cold, dark month, January can also be a time when we force ourselves into a new year with a range of self improvement goals, which can feel exhausting. This year, I’ve been reading the thoughts of several writers about this notorious month. All…
Dear 2025 (featuring a few of the books I read in 2024)
Dear 2025, Well, here you are, another year! The world carries on spinning and, frankly, it can all be rather dizzying. As you arrive, 2025, there’s a whole lot of madness going on. Good leaders are few and far between, and in almost every country, things are being allowed to happen that are troubling. This…
Life Lately/Enchanted
It’s been a tough few weeks and I’ve teetered close to burnout almost daily. Within our family, we’ve had a storm, power cuts, an operation, a string of minor illnesses, changes and challenges in our work, the ongoing rumble of assessments and meetings about one of our children, sleep deprivation, anxiety, and the general wear…
National Adoption Week
In a world of injustice, difficulty and diversity, adoption could be one of the most powerful words. All of us have vulnerabilities and corners of loneliness or isolation in our lives. Some of us have huge disadvantages. All of us, though we may hate to admit it, need the embrace of others, the hand pulling…
Life Lived 