Open-hearted joys 開開心心 12

Late summer is easily one of my favourite seasons. It offers a pocket of warmth, an easy breeze and a reminder that all of those big obligations of ‘the best summer yet’ are over. In its’ stead, we have slower sessions of filling in the diary gaps with coffee dates, slumber-some wanders and thoughts of ‘ooh, an early autumn beach visit is much nicer anyway’. I’m really soaking up this cosy couple of weeks and embracing it for what it is.

There’s a lot to be said for appreciating the smaller, not necessarily finer details of the everyday mundane. Here’s to another list of petite, open-hearted joys, the moments that’ve brought and woven poetry to my days, this fortnight:

一. Taking Dad to a few garden centres on his birthday. Lowkey celebrations are definitely where it’s at.

二. Seeing my houseplants thrive. I’ve never been great at keeping them alive, but they’re alive and sprouting new leaves constantly!

三. How a small surprise and little gesture can completely change the course of your day in the best way.

四. The satisfying moment when a single rain droplet joins a larger water pocket as it trickles down a window.

五. When you meet someone and find out you have all of the same, very obscure things in common.

六. Baby cuddles all weekend with my godson.

七. Early evening baths with an episode of somethin’ on, MacBook perched far away from the water, and an & Chai candle burning in the back.

八. The chance to rustle up my favourite dinner, because everyone else was out.

九. The nostalgia that hit me as I climbed into bed last Thursday night with a cuppa and a fresh issue of Vogue to read. Damn this journalism graduate misses those days…

十. My 9.30am tea as I put together my daily to-do lists and set about some morning journalling.

What’re some of the petite joys from your life, lately?