Today you made me happy.

I stumbled across a page from Louba's blog yesterday that she wrote last year. What I love about her post was the joy found in the little things in life. It made me think.

The smallest things, the tiniest actions can change the direction of someone's day. She talks about her colleague bringing coffee like magic to her desk and I thought about what I could do to bring magic to someone else's day.

Its not really what you do that matters ... its the desire to do it and the fact that you took time to do something ... something thoughtful, something kind.

I have come to realise more and more recently how important it is to give people time - to look them in the eye when they speak, to listen, to smile, to let them know they are valued. If part of that means making a cup of tea or picking a flower from your garden - maybe giving someone a hug or noticing that they look tired today - well ... do it.

Being kind costs nothing. In our world of tension, stress, material desires ... often what makes your day is not the big things, but the little ones that come from the heart rather than the wallet.

Knowing that my afternoon might be hard my colleague left me a chocolate on her desk with a note wishing me luck & leaving me a kiss. How nice was that? It made my afternoon! When I got home from a difficult day my son greeted me at the door with a mug of tea. A stranger tweeted a kind word in reply to my secret worry.

I might sound a bit sanctimonious here. I don't mean to be. I just think that kindness, the consideration of other people is so important. I am going to try and do something for someone else each day. Maybe something little, but I hope I can make a difference.

Older Children & getting your life back.

I have just got home from a morning's campaigning at a local shopping parade. Part of having older children now means that I have got my life back. I don't mean that in a horrible way, but really ... how lovely is it to be able to say "I'm just off up to the allotment for an hour" or "I'm going out to get people to sign the petition"  - and be able to pop out leaving the 2 boys happily in the house by themselves?

I remember when I couldn't leave the house without a small trailer attached to my back pack carrying nappies, spare clothes, food, drink, wet wipes ... My life revolved around their meal times and bed times. Now I am free again to indulge in life as I used to know it.

This morning I was part of a team campaigning against a massive new development by a major supermarket chain who I refuse to even name on here. We set up our stall outside a local shopping parade and asked people to sign our petition. I absolutely love doing it. I enjoy meeting new people and, strangely, saying "Good Morning!" to a complete stranger and then getting them to join the campaign is a real pleasure.

I would never have thought a few years ago that I would have the nerve to do that, but now I do. Obviously not everybody says yes to us, but that's fine isn't it? Each to their own. I do find though that when people are given the facts of the matter they tend to be a) shocked and b) willing to fight.

I feel so fortunate to be in this situation now. Not only do I have 2 lovely boys with whom I love spending time, but I also have the chance to do my own thing. When I was struggling in the dark days of PND I never thought that I would get out the other side and bathe in the light of this sort of happiness again. It just shows you that there is life after such things.

Right now my life is so full of 'stuff' ... be it the allotment, study, work, campaigning, family life ... Yes, there are days when I wonder quite why I do so much, but most of the time I count myself so very lucky to have the chance to do it.