I have a very funny friend who has just had a baby, on her own, in her 40s.  It’s not easy, but thankfully she has supportive parents nearby and an incredibly wicked sense of humour.  I’m relishing her baby spam and blow by blow updates, as it makes me feel involved in little Jack’s life and also casts my mind back a decade to similar moments and feelings. I can’t help think that lockdown is actually the perfect time to have a newborn – no reason to go out, no pressure to join all the groups and do all the things. Heck, you don’t ever have to get your bub out of their jarmies if you don’t want to! It’s a great time to just ‘be’.

Something she said to me this morning really resonated.  I watched a video of her son on his new indoor swing thingy. He was absolutely delighted to be moving! I recounted how much I loved seeing my kids swinging, how wonderfully freeing it is to kick your legs high and fly through the breeze.  I still love doing it as an adult and often can be found on our swing in the backyard, under the shade of our huge gum tree, just taking a moment. She reminded me that she’d once been prescribed ‘swinging’ by a therapist to induce joy! And then she said: “there is joy in the minutiae for us at the moment’.

Joy in the minutiae.

That’s pretty much how I feel about life right now too.  There is a lot to be upset about, a lot to be annoyed by, but I think if we let it overwhelm us we can crumble far more easily than we expect or would ordinarily… particularly given the upset and annoyance has been going on for so long.

So I’m consciously finding joy in the minutiae too.

This week this has happened:

• when my client nails his book cover and is beyond excited to share it with the world
• when my cunning birthday plans for my husband come together perfectly
• when my 9 year old finally gets the backwards skip counting
• when my garden shows its spring colours in unexpected places
• when I have a coaching call with a new client and within 10 minutes she’s already calmer and more positive that she actually does know what to say
• when Miss 12 choreographs her own dance routine and is proud as punch
• when the fire doesn’t take half an hour to light and the flames burst beautifully into life

My first wish for you this week is learn from the stories that are shared with you, even if they feel like whinges or moans or something insignificant. There is always value.

My second wish for this week is to consciously find joy in the minutiae.