It Made Me Smile…

Doomy-gloomy-covid… divisive-angry-presidential-election…

Three little things that made me smile yesterday:

• The poster above: friends who make ‘unplanned purchases’ need an excuse.
• Kieran White and Tilly Christmas got married; they united their surnames to become Mr and Mrs White-Christmas.
• A picture of children taking part in the world puddle jumping championships.

A local primary school reported: Year 5 used some outdoor time to conduct some votes and explain their arguments. The topics were hotly contested and some great use of our oracy skills building upon each other’s arguments.

Topics included: Should homework be banned? Does pineapple belong on pizza? Should Schools be locked down as well? They really enjoyed this one and were really understanding and responsible in their arguments. They used a lot of “I agree with …” and “I disagree because….”

I smiled. If only adults – politicians, church leaders, family members could be ’understanding and responsible in their arguments.’

I read of Tola-Doll Fisher. Following her baby daughter’s death…:

‘Seeing people who have what you have just lost can be brutal, and after Annie died, I seemed to see pregnant women everywhere. One day I saw a pregnant woman on the train, and before I could turn away in sadness, I felt a nudge to pray for her… I felt six words come into my head, clear and strong: God bless you and your baby. I think I might have cried the first time I said it silently…’

After that, every time she saw a pregnant woman she blessed them: ‘I walked up to a woman… and told her I hoped she had a really safe birth and healthy baby. She looked at me in surprise, but her thanks was so heartfelt I wondered if my words might have meant more than I realised…’

Musing on how bitterness can take hold of us when life is tough; I smiled as I read how one woman turned things round.