Looking for beautiful moments

I had the best weekend ever! We drove the kids to Manchester to show them the city’s art gallery. Because of multiple lockdowns, my leukaemia and moving office and associated work stuff, we’ve not had chance to show the kids actual art for years. And bearing in mind Darren and I met when I was studying textiles and him architecture in Manchester, we thought it was high time they saw a bit of culture. We parked as close as we could with my daughter’s blue badge, but the whole city centre seemed to be cordoned off. We soon realised why. Pride was on. Massive march, festival atmosphere and rainbows everywhere. It was BRILLIANT!

Martha looked at me. “Mum can you get my sunflower lanyard out please. I want people to know I’m a bit different too.”  For those who don’t know, the sunflower lanyards are worn by disabled people to show that not all disabilities are visible. Now I know it’s not the same, but I LOVED the intelligence that lead to that comment and also that she wanted to be an ally – that she was proud of herself for her fully-owned difference from mainstream norms too and in that moment she was forging her own inclusion. She’s saying, “I can belong.”

Later we sat in the art gallery and looked at a painting. I asked her, “Where do you think the artist was when they painted this? What are they trying to show? Look how blurred the trees are in the background. Can you remember going on a train or being in the car and how in every fleeting moment there’s a beautiful view but then it’s gone. That’s what I think they’re trying to show us. It’s just a quick field and trees in the distance but if you stop and look, that moment, however fast, is beautiful.”

At work, the Summer Sale is coming to a close soon, but there’s still a chance to grab a bargain if you get in quick, including our lovely womens boxer shorts. You can bagsy an extra 10% off with the code FB10, and there’s free express delivery on orders over £75.