Present

Oh gosh I give thanks that's February 14th over for another twelve months - I'm pretty good at avoiding expectation but have not yet managed to abandon hope it will be an easier to enjoy day than it usually is! I give thanks for a few well chosen gifts, and also for the less tangible - messages in various forms including being sung Happy Birthday on voicemail, gently starting my long neglected back exercises and continuing my ongoing project of trying to remain within, or at least return more often to, the present. This can be particularly challenging for those who spend long periods of time alone contentedly wandering to and fro in their minds. I give thanks for managing the occasional moment...

I give thanks for the various purchases I've made recently to help myself feel more comfortable and cherished. They include this jigsaw from the local community hub shop (where they also had some fab reggae playing the other day!) Though pre-owned it looks unused, which given the complexity of the image is perhaps not surprising. What is totally astonishing however is that reading the fine print I discovered this was painted by an artist injured during childhood, who holds the brush in his mouth! This fills me with awe - as well as a sense of inadequacy - but I give thanks for the reminder how insignificant my struggles with physical limits to creativity really are.