It’s The Little Things

During this year, it’s been the little, thoughtful things that have meant so much to us… a neighbour’s daughter popping a note through the door offering to fetch shopping or prescriptions if needed; another neighbour getting into their car and seeing us in the garden, calling out if we needed anything from the shops; children as they walk past the house commenting how much they love all our flowers; dog walkers waving out as they walk by. These are just a few tiny kind, friendly gestures we’ve received from people we hardly know. 

Thankfully, through all this year, my husband and I have been fine despite my usual poor health issues. To be honest, we’ve enjoyed the time spent in each other’s company as we stayed confined to the house, venturing no further than the doctor’s surgery or to our small local supermarket. Our house is always full of laughter at each other’s jokes and silliness and it’s been good not having to worry about hair in need of a trim or fussing what clothes to wear. Shoes that haven’t worn out and favourite lipsticks have lasted ages. And I certainly have stopped worrying about the house being a little untidy or in need of a dust, after all, visitors were not going to “pop in”, were they?  Yes, we’ve missed our drives out of a Friday to enjoy our glorious Gloucestershire countryside, and we’ve missed not visiting our favourite garden centre. We don’t do pubs or cinemas or restaurants so they weren’t missed at all, although we have missed our planned holiday, mercifully we hadn’t actually booked it, so that was okay too. 

Now we’re into December and the weather has turned cold and wet, the garden we so love is dank and muddy and in shade all day long, we keep ourselves amused with our indoor hobbies — his is online shopping (mainly plants and things for the garden), mine writing and painting. TV is mostly repeats and, for us, mainly utter drivel and rubbish, the news invariably turned off.  But fortunately, we have no money worries, owe nothing to no one, the house is warm, our freezers well stocked — what more could we want? Yet there are days when I feel down, despondent and glum like the weather, suffering from SAD. This morning was one of those days. 

But not for long. I was called into the kitchen the moment he returned from his shopping trip to the supermarket for a fresh loaf and a newspaper. In his arms were a large bunch of roses.

“For you,” he said. “Because you’re worth it!”

I’m no longer glum or sad. And each day I love him more. Why? For the little things he does. 

So make someone you know or a stranger’s day by a simple act of kindness, be it a smile, saying “Hello”, or an offer of help, no matter how small. It will make you both feel good.

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