It is October already. Who made that happen? When I was a kid, conker (horse chestnut) trees seemed quite rare. Perhaps they didn’t grow well in Sheffield soil. Any tree that did exist was stripped bare each Autumn for the big conker fest which then took place in every school playground. To this day, I always pick up the first conker of the season that I see and keep it until the following year. Its beautiful shiny brown shell, all smooth to the touch, makes it such a thing of beauty. What is it that you notice in the world around you? What makes you smile with delight? A friend of mine was going through a particularly stressful time and her faith was taking a bit of a bashing. Her Spiritual Director asked what gave her joy as a child. She remembered that she used to love to ride her bike. She started to do that again and found something that gave her joy and renewed her energy to see her through a difficult time.
Stopping to notice small things, allowing all our senses to come into play, reminds us of all the blessings that are around us all the time. The news on the television may be overwhelming and we may have worries and stresses enough of our own. Yet just taking a moment to notice the Autumn colours, savouring the food we eat or relishing the delights of a lie-in, are ways of connecting with the here and now, with the simple things that are around us. They are ways of replenishing and feeding the soul. This week I put in the winter flowering plants into pots. It felt so great to feel the soil on my hands. I look forward to seeing the plants grow and the flowers appear. It is fascinating to me that even in the harshest of winters somehow the winter pansies and violas survive, poking their heads out from beneath the snow.
Our Wellbeing team has a series of different events lined up over the next few months, aimed at improving the quality of our lives in simple ways. The Bramble Ramble was a good introduction to learning to look after ourselves better, using what’s around us. A lovely walk, good company and a bag full of blackberries, freshly picked, are excellent ingredients for a sense of wellbeing. Over the next couple of months, the team will be offering workshops on mental health and on alcohol awareness. These will be useful for looking after ourselves and also supporting those we care about who might need support at times. Looking after our mind, body and spirit is all part of wholeness and holiness. What might you do this week that will give you a moment of simple delight? God is present even in the small pleasures of life.
God bless
Cecilia
Stopping to notice small things, allowing all our senses to come into play, reminds us of all the blessings that are around us all the time. The news on the television may be overwhelming and we may have worries and stresses enough of our own. Yet just taking a moment to notice the Autumn colours, savouring the food we eat or relishing the delights of a lie-in, are ways of connecting with the here and now, with the simple things that are around us. They are ways of replenishing and feeding the soul. This week I put in the winter flowering plants into pots. It felt so great to feel the soil on my hands. I look forward to seeing the plants grow and the flowers appear. It is fascinating to me that even in the harshest of winters somehow the winter pansies and violas survive, poking their heads out from beneath the snow.
Our Wellbeing team has a series of different events lined up over the next few months, aimed at improving the quality of our lives in simple ways. The Bramble Ramble was a good introduction to learning to look after ourselves better, using what’s around us. A lovely walk, good company and a bag full of blackberries, freshly picked, are excellent ingredients for a sense of wellbeing. Over the next couple of months, the team will be offering workshops on mental health and on alcohol awareness. These will be useful for looking after ourselves and also supporting those we care about who might need support at times. Looking after our mind, body and spirit is all part of wholeness and holiness. What might you do this week that will give you a moment of simple delight? God is present even in the small pleasures of life.
God bless
Cecilia
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