Dealing with the interruptions

 This week I’ve been writing a sermon about how we deal with interruptions in our plans .. when life throws a curve ball , not necessarily the major life changing things but also the little nibbles that disrupt our flow of what we were doing ( to see how it fits in a sermon you’ll have to tune in to St Nicholas STROOD you tube channel on Sunday !!!)

Seriously though not even half an hour after writing and I had a coffee cancellation … yes it’s just coffee but it was with my bestie who I haven’t seen for a while an since was really looking forward to a chat to just be me .  The. Throughout the week various things have happened that have changed plans , car failing it’s mot so no car for a few days change of plans again , internet not connected for yet another two weeks so missed a really important zoom course I was a looking forward to as well as several other meetings, Elijah nearly missing his optician app because Dan was later back from his school trip … 

So by this point … late on Thursday night I can’t sleep and I’m proper stressed … my saint of a brother in law comes over and gives us an internet back up … dad comes up and helps out with lifts , and so it goes on . And yes I still feel stressed but I’m remembering the words I’ve written this week and can now see the blessings that I have seen this week … the conversations I did have , the people I have seen , the time I’ve spent playing in the garden with the boys because there was no internet , the book I’m reading because I couldn’t waste time on Netflix /tv, the extra time I’ve gained with family .

It is really helpful and comforting having plans and knowing what’s going to happen and that’s very important (especially when you have an autistic son !) but life isn’t neat and tidy and sometimes , just sometimes the curve balls contain different but sometimes positive outcomes in places we didn’t expect it . 

I’m waffling on but to those of you who have been there in this hard week hopefully you know how much I love and appreciate you … and yes I’m going to get and practise what I preach 🙈

Creativity

 I’ve been advised  to try and take some me time .. even if it’s just an hour in the week doing something not work or mummy but mindless me … Today I went for a walk with a friend .. it’s a walk we’ve done many a time and each time I’ve noticed this amazing graffiti ..

always different but very stunning !! 

Today some young men were there preparing the wall to create … we stopped and they looked anxious .. we said thank you for your work it’s beautiful … they were stunned .. thanks they replied you’re not gonna give us agro ? Well no you’re creating something beautiful in a place that’s neglected . They were amazed we had conversation about how they didn’t want to offend or cause damage or upset anyone they just wanted to share their art . 

It’s amazing how A bit of  creativity can turn somewhere derelict and overlooked into a statement or a place of beauty … it got me wondering how many people are there out there who have something to say or a voice to be heard that gets neglected or shouted down   How many people get misunderstood or ignored because of judgement and prejudice ? 

Let’s find the voices let’s search for the beauty in the unusual places this week.

Sparkle and Shine ???

I heard a radio report  the other day  that was discussing what people’s least favourite word is ...( moist was the most common out of interest!)  and then A friend told me today that their most  favourite word is “sparkle “ we often focus on the negatives rather than the positives where is the news report on the worlds nicest word ??? 

But in that conversation  it took me to this blog and I told them that I had a blog called sparkle and shine but there hadn’t been much to sparkle or shine about in the last few months ... 

and that got me thinking, which is why I’m here writing this tonight .. I’m usually a glass is half full person not half empty.. there’s always sparkle somewhere so tonight I’m finding the sparkle ... I may need some help so feel free to let me know of your sparkle moments this week.

This week I saw some gorgeous flowers , sparkle in creation called “Apparently honest “ a beautiful coloured pinky purple cluster .

Today I had coffee with a  head teacher who has Become a dear friend , his kind heart and wise words sparkled.

This afternoon after conducting a funeral , the first in a long long time , I had a meeting with a friend and colleague who reassured me when I was stressing about my unfinished talk for Sunday and reminded me of the importance Of sparkling.

And this evening I had my usual evening cuddle with not one but two beautiful resilient freshly hair cut boys who both uttered the “I love you mummy “ words ... a true sparkly moment ! 

This week I’m going to try hard to seek out the sparkle and try and bring my shine back !!!

Rollercoaster

 One of the last days out I had was to Thorpe Park ... I absolutely love rollercoasters ... the kids hate such things so I don’t often get the privilege but I have wonderful friends and a cracking niece who do so I’m Living in hope that one day we will get back there again. Rollercoasters are strange aren’t they .. you queue for ages and in a matter of moments the excitement and thrill is over ... and you go back to do it all again .... there’s the ups and downs the loops and turns being thrown hither and tither ! 

This week I had a dream I was on a rollercoaster with 2 friends and newly retired teachers from the boys school !!! It was very serial but wonderful for the time I was dreaming . And then I woke up and the week has continued in that vain .. like a constant rollercoaster .. there have been so many ups and downs and twists in this house this week you couldn’t make it up .. it’s certainly kept us on our toes !  

The amazing thing though about it is that not once , not twice , but 5 times .. just at the right moment I received a call or an email that uplifted me... 5 times !!!!! And these were from People not close to me knowing my week but folk who felt prompted for whatever reason to touch base ... just at the right time . .. to those if you read this I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being thè up part of my rollercoaster week. 

It can feel like there’s soooo little we CAN do during lockdown to help or support each other but it’s often the little simple things that make the difference . If you feel prompted to text or call someone .. whether that’s in a dream or a passing thought do it .. it could just be the thing they need this week ..

Please take care of yourselves and each other xxx