Brown study

This evening I'm grateful for making it through a nasty bout of seasonal missery - pining for people who've wandered off over preceding months (or years). You can tell me til you're blue in the face if they were real friends they wouldn't...on my side it's never unreal. I give thanks for remembering this and realising however little love there's been in in my life there's always loads going out, and the more you give the more you have so I'll never actually run out even though it feels like it sometimes... Gratitude too for a relative lack of 'duty' visits this so far year - where those who'd really rather not squeeze an hour or so of you into their schedule and you have to remember they think this is a charitable act...and remember to be charitable in return!

This week's hospital visit (yawn!) took me down some literal memory lanes, streets and roads which, of course, added to the mood of nostalgia but I gave thanks for the sight of others enjoying lunches and drinks with partners and colleagues and chums, and that folk on the whole seemed to be cheerful and having fun.  And shopping...my, were they shopping too! (This is another reason I get wistful - I don't have nearly enough presents to buy!) From the bus I was grateful for the sight of one golden leaf on a bare twiggy hedge and postmen delivering parcels...and on the way home I gave thanks for deciding to have chips on the beach as darkness fell and the rain began to fall. Not the most obviously cheerful thing to do but it put off coming home alone and making tea for one...