Satisfaction – My Friday Feeling

It’s all about the Covid-19 these days, isn’t it? Oh…and the US elections, but I’m saying nothing about that.

I decided at the beginning of the pandemic that I didn’t want to blog about it, because it was everywhere. All over social media, on television, newspapers, so there was no point in me adding to the assemblage.

I contracted the virus in April, and I didn’t write about that either. I hadn’t the energy or the motivation to write very much at all. It took me months to get back into a proper writing routine. My summer was quiet, like everyone else’s. My mood was low and my energy levels were up and down like a yoyo.

Image by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay

However, I wasn’t the worst off, thank God. It’s been very difficult for a lot of people everywhere. People’s mental health is suffering now more than ever, for so many reasons. Financial worry and uncertainty for the future is a huge factor. Domestic abuse is another. And loneliness. It really is a terrible time for so many. How long will it take to fix the carnage? All we can do for now is our best. Make the best of what we have. 

Lessons are being learned too. People have become more appreciative of their time and their families. During the first lockdown I realised the true value of school. My child missed the social aspect of the school environment, and I missed the routine and the discipline that school teaches them when it comes to doing their work. Home schooling began as a novelty, but I got frustrated with the maths. Was never my strong point! And I have to admit, I missed not having those few hours all to myself because it’s the best part of the day for me when it comes to writing. I need quiet and zero distractions. 

I was glad when the schools re-opened in September. Although Little Miss Nine didn’t settle back in as easily as I expected her to, she’s okay now. My novel is once again the prime focus of my day. That’s my joy you see. It’s the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning and often the last thing I think about when I go to bed at night. It gives me meaning and pleasure. I’m hopelessly in love with the art of creative writing. 

What do you do every day that brings you joy? Even amidst all the upset and stress, you need to find something that will bring you joy. It doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be walking, cycling, painting, reading, listening and dancing to music…the list is endless!

Image by Kranich17 from Pixabay

Someone once said to me. ‘Find your joy and joy will find you.’ I had a good week with my joy. Last week was a frustrating one because I spent all of it on research – just for one scene. It was worth it though. I’m satisfied that I got this one scene finished and the plot is where I need it to be. I’m satisfied that I gave enough of my time to my family – face to face or by phone – who are of course all a joy to me too. And I’m sure you’ll say the same thing. But don’t be afraid to find a different kind of joy. That one thing that’s for you and no one else. Something that your mental health and well-being will benefit from at all times. And even if your joy might bring you frustration now and then, that’s okay. Your joy may be some sort of a challenge, and we know how challenges can frustrate us sometimes. And look at how good you feel when you complete a challenge.

Part of my writing routine involves a simple challenge that Charli Mills at Carrot Ranch Blog sets every Thursday. She gives a prompt that we have to use it in a 99 word story. You can find out more about that HERE. 

I usually post my flash fiction over on my other blog. Tasheenga Writes Here (Yes, she’s Indian and she’s my alter ego)

So today my Friday feeling is…Satisfaction.

What’s yours? 

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Every Hug and Every Handshake – Now I Get it!

I’m not sure any of us can say that we fully understand life and death. We all have our own beliefs and that’s okay, but that’s all they are – beliefs. What is life all about, and where do we really go when we die? I don’t let myself think about it too much because it’s confusing and sometimes scary. I take comfort in my beliefs and it keeps me from freaking out.

All my life I preferred to avoid people who have just lost a loved one. Not always, but many times. I’d tell myself things like: I’m not to bother them. I’ll make them sad if I mention their loss. I don’t need to go to the wake because they have enough people there, and we’re not even related. I won’t go to the funeral because I hate funerals, they make me cry. (You could say that’s selfish.) I’ll send a sympathy card instead. (And then forget to send it.) I always thought if I lost someone close, I wouldn’t want to see lots of people. I wouldn’t want them to say anything, or I wouldn’t care if they went to the funeral or not.

Well…my eyes have been opened! How wrong I was about death and funerals; how wrong I was to think all those things.

Self-Care is Simple!

Self-care is extremely important for your health and well-being. Too often, people wait until they are sick or under a lot of stress before they think about looking after themselves. What does self-care mean anyway?

It simply means putting your own needs first. Regularly doing things that are beneficial for your mind and body; every day if necessary!

Prevention is always better than cure and just because you feel good and life is treating you kindly, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t indulge in treating yourself to a little bit of ‘me time’ now and then. If you lead a stressful life or suffer from worry or anxiety, then self-care for you is even more important. Get into the habit of doing things for yourself every day!

For those of you who are not in the habit of putting yourself first, then it’s time you started. Look at it this way – if you don’t take care of yourself, then who is going to do it for you? It’s your responsibility to take care of your own body, mind and spirit.

Along The River. My Moment in Time!

It’s a crisp frosty morning and the sky is bright blue and almost flawless. The dazzling winter sun is radiating a gentle heat in a bid to thaw the frigid frost that illuminates the trees and hedges. It’s bitterly cold, yet it’s invigorating and since I’m wearing several layers of clothing, my bones are harboured from the icy chill. There is nowhere else I’d rather be right now.

I consider myself very lucky to live beside the splendid River Moy and today I feel grateful that I have the good health and energy to walk the bordering path. Today is a good day!

I meet a young woman speed walking with her head down, looking at the ground. She’s wearing headphones so when I say hello, she can’t hear me. She’s in a little world of her own and I don’t know what’s happening in her world, but I want to stop her and show her what she’s not seeing and what she’s not hearing.

I’d like her to pause for a moment and look around at the beauty of nature. Feel the sun on her face – really feel it – inhale the fresh cool air and listen to the chirping sounds coming from little birds hiding in the hedges. No doubt hiding from the nearby well-fed hooded crow, who is trying to drown out their sweet songs with his loud croaky squawking.

The young woman is out of sight now and I walk on some more. The angry grey crow joins his clan on the other side of the river where they all sit concertedly on a wooden fence. They look ever so pretentious in comparison to the seagulls gliding gracefully across the sky.

I’m being followed. I hear quiet rustlings in the hedge directly behind me but I don’t look – I keep walking. With the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of a robin hopping from the hedge to the branch of a naked tree. I stop and slowly turn to look at him. I wonder if he’s hungry or if he just wants company. He whistles and I whistle back. He cocks his head to one side and whistles again. I walk on and he flies from bush to bush, staying close but keeping a safe distance.  He cheeps cheerfully, like a small child who has just discovered something new and exciting. Is he telling me about his moment in time? Crass grey crow returns and gentle robin disappears into the bramble.

The water is scattered with uneven ripples and it flows rapidly but peacefully in the direction of the sea. I’m standing on the river bank watching folding crests race each other towards the dam. The sun glistening on the tiny peaks of the waves has me hypnotised. Teasing me, with the illusion of curly tips of ice-cream cones. 

As I approach the dam, the water appears to flow faster and my step quickens. There’s a seat on the high bridge overlooking the dam, where I sit to rest for a while. The water is dark and mysterious. The formidable River Moy has claimed many lives over the years. It demands respect as it roars and pounds against the walls of the dam, brawny and merciless, impressive and captivating.

Everything around me is silenced by the crashing waters below and I am grateful for the sturdy barriers that protect me from the dark depths of the river. I’m oblivious to what is happening around me. This is my little world for now and I don’t need to be anywhere else at this moment in time.

My moment in time was inspired by Orla at Fancy Paper Blog! 

We should all take our moments and cherish them when we have the opportunity! 

 

 

Walking Lightly. Noeleen Watson’s First Book of Poems

Walking Lightly is Noeleen Watson’s first book of poems. On a journey of self-discovery, Noeleen realises her true potential as she finds she has a gift of putting words on paper that create something special.