The Joy to be found in Small

I have the blessing of having a mother who is a sunshine talker.
Her wonder in little things and ability to catch delight in moments of beauty keep her glowing as she travels through the tough spots in life.

Her great respect for truth and a rock crushing honesty ensure that she doesn't float off into Neverland.  This would seem to be an impossible parallel to live by yet has made her into one of the most productive and energetic people I have ever known.
I remember staring at my self in the mirror in my early teens. Being impressed with the colour of my hair as the sun bounced off it and the luminosity of my eyes, I was prompted to say, 'You know mum I think I could be quite beautiful.' She thoughtfully stood beside me with her head sparrow like on the side and replied with, 'May be handsome (in best Austin tradition) sweetheart but probably not beautiful.' The brutal honesty was a shock to us both I think but in the laughter I acknowledged the hit which relieved me from years of self deception.  It also made her reassurances of the things she thought remarkable in me more believable when self doubt of teens and twenty's scrambled for a foot hold.

She has never been 'cool' or laid back, her enthusiasm for ideas and connections is too strong. She cares little about what other people think of her. Having our mouths washed out for swearing was not because she thought we may embarrass her one day or of her unthinking support of any cultural rules but because swearing is lazy talk and ugly. She drilled into me that ice cream is the only food that may be eaten while walking anywhere because innocent pedestrians shouldn't be exposed to the car crash in your mouth as you take another bite.  Once again the motivation which may be seen as pure snobbery is really only to avoid the ugly.

Roadside garden in Ashby

In her last visit to us she had my eldest daughter climbing through the front yard of a stranger's house in the twilight because she had spotted something in their garden. The torch was held high so that she could take a photo of the huge flower on a Fruit Salad plant.  The owners peered disbelieving at them through their front window as they carefully made their way back to the foot path and mum couldn't have cared less.   She had found beauty and wonder and recorded it for future 'ahs'.

No matter what anxiety or hopelessness she may be feeling she always stays open to the beauty around her. The sky in all its many shades is enough to turn the 'Ooh dear' to the 'Ah wow! She is enthralled by the ladybird on her roses, the magpie chorus in the morning, curl of a petal on a weed, the soft black nose of a bellowing calf.  Watching a willy wagtail skim our pool for bugs, a cat rolling on the concrete to get rid of an itch, the turn of phrase from a witty grand daughter and the timely observations from another are pure joy.

Simultaneously the scowls of sulking or temper were tickled out of us because she would not tolerate the ugly sounds of negative talk and the bangings of stomping feet.

She sees the complexity and beauty of the Creator in the little things.
The leap of her heart and sparkle of her eyes light up our days.

This gift of finding light and delight in the millions of little bits in and around life is precious and a true antidote for the glums from expectations, disappointment, fear and loathing that can poison our time here on Earth.
"Let the sunshine in, face it with a grin, open up your heart and let the Son shine in."

Thanks Mum, xx

Just Watched: An Unexpected Journey - P.Jackson's 1st installment of The Hobbit by Tolkien.
"Sarumun believes that it is only great power that can hold evil in check.  But that is not what I have found.  I've found it is the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay.  Simple acts of kindness and love."  Gandalf to Lady Galadriel (This scene is not in 'The Hobbit')