Prioritising Everyday Joy

Well, Magic Moments has lapsed a little bit. I did start it and then didn't do any more recordings but I have still been thinking about Magic Moments and something popped up yesterday I think it was on Instagram and it was Nigel Slater had posted about an event that he's taking part in with the ceramicist Edmund de Waal and he talks about joy and finding small everyday moments of joy and he calls it a radical and necessary act in a world that often feels overwhelming. So he does a lot of quite simple parts really. If you follow Nigel Slater you'll see that he has these shelves, I'm not sure whether they're in his kitchen, and he has all these bowls that Edmund de Waal has made and they're all quite delicate and just simple really, nothing particularly flamboyant, often white or muted colours. But anyway I was just fascinated that he talks about art as a source of joy both when you're creating and when you're looking at it and they're going to be talking about their mutual creativity and how that can bring joy and meaning to life. But he also talks about finding beauty and joy in simple things. A lot of it is related to nature, smell of flowers, hearing birds singing, just being out in nature. And they also talk about it as a radical act and how it can be counter-cultural in a world that prioritises the material and social rather than the simple. He talks about making things out of clay is one of the sources for him of joy. I really like that and it just sort of jumped out at me. I think everyday joy, it does ebb and flow. I think it is a conscious act that you have to think about what brings you joy and consciously focus on it. And this morning when I took Bamber out in the garden first thing, I was just looking at my auriculars and they've been lovely this year. I've got two in pots that at some point I'll probably be able to split and end up with about eight plants instead of just the two. And I've also got two lots of border auriculars, again I could split those. And I've really enjoyed looking at them and watching them open up and these lovely flowers that just captivate me. But now they're going over, they're coming to an end and it just made me think, you know, you have to really enjoy the things at the time. It's no good me looking at the auriculars now and going, oh I've missed it. They've kind of, they've passed their best. It's all about noticing them on the day and making the most of it. And I think nature is a lesson for life. It's about appreciating what you've got whilst you've got it. Not thinking about the future and what you might lose or that flowers are going to die at some point or, you know, the weather's lovely now but in two months time it might be pouring with rain. It's just about really appreciating everything now. So yeah, that was what I was thinking this morning. You know, the auriculars, it's the end of that season and it'll be another year before they all flower again. But wow, they've just looked amazing this year. And yesterday the final lamb was born. Well it wasn't actually the final lamb.I wrote in my diary the last lamb was born but then this morning there weren't just three lambs there were four so actually the last lamb was born sometime overnight so the final ute lamb had twins so yeah lambing over for another year but I've really enjoyed it and I love the lambs and I love the sheep and yeah it's quite sad really that I'll have to wait well till January but we've got the calves and I'm loving the calves so that's what's bringing me joy every day and that's what I'm focusing on and prioritising so I hope you will too prioritise something that brings you joy