So Special

There are some lovely walks around where I live in Surrey. A good place to start or finish is the Priory Park in Reigate. 

Not down in the flat grassy area where the yummy mummies gather sipping Starbucks, but up through the trees at the top of the ridge.

We often follow that trail for miles along the Greensands Way, stopping for refreshments in the many inviting hostelries en route.

But it’s right at the start where, if you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of something special.

Squirrel And G-Man

And just last week we were lucky and we did catch a sight of . . . drum roll please . . . 

A white squirrel.

It’s very rare to see white squirrels. They are actually grey squirrels affected by albinism, a condition caused by a lack of melanin. 

Estimates say there are just fifty albino squirrels in the whole of the UK and the odds of spotting one is 1 in 100,000.

Special right?

See Into The Trees

I’ve had a few special moments recently spotting normally reticent wildlife. The albino squirrel was definitely the rarest but we went for a walk on my birthday a few weeks ago and were treated to a brilliant Kingfisher flashing across a lake in Godstone. 

And just half a mile further on a we were lucky enough to see a handsome Green Woodpecker darting through the trees. They’re less rare than the other two but it’s always a thrill to see that smart verdant waistcoat and bright red crown.

And you wouldn't believe what I saw when I visited Loch Ness the other day but that's for another time.

Joy Division

It’s easy to find joy when you come across treasures like this but I read something the other day which reminded me that it’s important to be able to find pleasure in the everyday too. 

It was in a book called Dancing With The Red Devil: A Memoir of Love, Hope, Family and Cancer. It’s a lovely book, although quite difficult reading at times, as the title clearly suggests it would be.

Lust For Life

In it the author, Sarah Standing, reflects on her childhood and talks about how her mother (Nanette Newman actually) taught her and her sister to appreciate everything they had. 

“To turn any small event into a grand occasion. To have the ability to go both upmarket and down and get the same enjoyment from both experiences. Woolworths and Harrods. Bournemouth and Hollywood. Peanut butter sandwiches and steak.”

I love this and think that learning to ‘appreciate everything’ is a really useful skill. A couple of years ago when my father in law passed away, I mentioned this because he had this ability in spades.

He never drank a glass of wine that he didn’t enjoy. They were all delicious! 

Imagine being able to always say “That was enjoyable” regardless of the event. I used to think it was a lack of discernment, but now I actually think it’s the opposite. 

Everyday Is Like Sunday

The different ways in which we all interpret the same event suggests to me that we have a lot more agency over how we could choose to enjoy life than we sometimes let ourselves believe. 

It’s less and less about what happens, and more and more about what we choose to think about it. Noticing and appreciating the smaller details and avoiding placing monetary value on pleasure.

I’m sure it takes effort to cultivate the ability to find joy in the mundane. I’m also sure it’s worth taking the effort. What a great way to approach life, expecting and deciding to enjoy it all.

If you can find joy in the small everyday things it surely means the awesome things will be even more so!

So this week’s Top Tip is to enjoy your weekend. Regardless of what you do, why not decide in advance that you will derive pleasure from it?