you are my sunshine

The days after my husband left were really really hard. I'm very lucky to have had a friend who checked in with me, day after day, for months. Asking how I was, reminding me I was loved, and that I was not on my own. Singing back my song when I'd forgotten what it sounded like. Charting my progress when it felt like I wasn't moving forwards. For me it was a very tangible act of love and commitment.

Maybe a time will come when I do the same back for them. In the meantime, knowing how it made a difference to me having that contact (some days it was the only reason I got up), I now try and do something similar for others when I sense that some regular checking in would help. I'd like to do it much more - with all of my friends in fact. But that's not possible, so I'm doing it in short bursts, one at a time. Emailing/messaging and not expecting/insisting upon a reply. Just being there, just a little contact. I won't get it right all the time but I know my attempts so far have been appreciated.

The day has already run out but I'm still hoping to have a quickie look at an unexpected gift from my Dad that arrived in the post today. Entitled "one million lovely letters" it's about the love letters a woman in adversity writes to strangers who are feeling low (I can see why my Dad thought it would be up my street!!). The blurb on the back includes "I set up One Million Lovely Letters to help other people, but it has helped me too - more than I can begin to say... I know it will be alright. We can be each other's positivity, each other's ray of sunshine. We are all connected."

I suspect you will hear more about this book once I've enjoyed it :) Meanwhile, cheesy as it may be, thankyou for the sunshine many of you have offered me and rest assured of my full-on-wattage sunrays whenever I can :D