“What is Life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night.  It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime.  It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.”  Anonymous

It is sometimes being in a beautiful tranquil place or possibly a beautiful quote such as the one above that can sometimes trigger an idea for a story.  It might not necessarily be right for a picture book, maybe it’s the start of a YA Novel… who knows.  Such was the idea that came to me very late this month to complete my 6^th draft this year so far.  Not sure it will be any good, its scribbled notes not quite making sense, but an idea, a draft, none the less.

This past month was a pressurised one for me with work and life, but I have turned the corner this past week and the road ahead looks a lot brighter.  What with sitting exam, self-assessment marking and interview, audits, not to mention a reorganising of shop displays and delivering books and stationary to schools and old folks homes, and end of year results at work, leaves one on tender hooks, sleepless nights, unable to concentrate on writing and a backlog of emails.  At the beginning of the week I was surprised when the boss turned up to share some wisdom with me….  The next day I attended a one day workshop which gave me clear guidelines to help me pass my exam which I will re-sit again in July.  This was followed by a meeting the next day of all Managers to find, understand, and help, with the pressures and frustrations they face in their everyday work environment.  It was my chance to speak up, let rip…  With renewed strength, I did just that.  Boy, it felt good! And they listened! We walked out later that day with such optimism.  I raised two thumbs in the air when I saw my old boss in the distance; he had a wide grin on his face.  Last night I held my first big Team Brief meeting with my staff (it was long overdue), it was engaging, informative, uplifting and I enjoyed their enthusiasm.  When I left to walk down the dark street to my car a staff member ran up to me and again, thanked me, energised for the New Year ahead.

This morning as I look outside to the sun awakening through grey clouds, the white frost of winter on the grass dancing in the soft breeze, the silence broken only by the distant sound of a car, a fantail rustles the branches of a camellia bush as it hunts for its breakfast, I glance down at a quote by William Blake sitting by my laptop … “Happiness is to see the world in a grain of sand, and Heaven in a wild flower, to hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in a single hour”   I feel relaxed, inspired, and ready to face the next 6 months.