Apparently, despite the best efforts of Blue Peter, my children still think climate change is primarily about animals. So, I puzzled about a childrens and families activity around this year's Harvest Festival - happening as it is in the run-up to the Leaders' gathering on Climate Change in November. How do you bring home in … Continue reading Helping Small People handle Big Issues: Harvest Festival, Inequality and Climate Change
The Bimble-berries
New term. New opportunities and challenges. New relationships to navigate. I think one of life's epiphanies is realising that that how people treat you is much more about what's going on for them than anything particularly to do with you. But as a school child it's hard to hold onto that. This story has no … Continue reading The Bimble-berries
Moved to tears
I didn't expect to cry today. Worry and irritation, I expected, and exhaustion I knew would appear - all the normal emotions associated with taking two children to London in a pandemic (I have a hair chewer and a finger nibbler). But nothing prepared me for the sheer wall of emotion I felt within minutes … Continue reading Moved to tears
Etched in Eternity
When something important ends - a friendship withering through distance, a career abruptly terminated, or even a bereavement that tragically ends a relationship, it is hard to put words around their enduring value when they cease to be a daily reality. My daughter once described colouring a picture as 'bringing it to life' and that … Continue reading Etched in Eternity
Spending your marbles
Everyone loves a marble run - it must be one of the most enduring toys. Its addictive fascination is evident in the way in which zoos, attractions and waiting rooms around the world raise money by inviting people to watch a small object follow its trajectory and end up at the bottom with a satisfying … Continue reading Spending your marbles
Living within these four walls…..
I have spent so much time in the past year in the same four walls; working, eating, family life, any precious few minutes for leisure. Its plenty of time to notice all the parts that need work, the niggles I can't seem to get fixed. Plenty of time to take comfort in all the material … Continue reading Living within these four walls…..
#DotheDecentThing
Today I read an article in today's Sunday Times that made me very cross. It was about people who can continue their work from home not giving due consideration to paying their cleaners who cannot work but are dependent on them for wages. Of course, many people do not have a secure income or are … Continue reading #DotheDecentThing
The story of Rob, Robyn and the Robin and the day the wheel stopped.
Once upon a time there was a wheel whose spinning sustained the world. Everyone and everything was connected to the wheel, and, in turn, affected how it span. People had jobs, paid taxes, built and sold companies, bought houses and cars, went on holiday and pursued hobbies. The wheel connected everyone - including three characters … Continue reading The story of Rob, Robyn and the Robin and the day the wheel stopped.
Anchor Friendships
This reflection is available to buy as a postcard. Please order by email at grainofsandblog@gmail.com Friendship matters immensely. It comes in many forms and circumstances create all sorts. At its most fleeting it might be a momentary connection - such as a friendly opinion given by a stranger in a changing room that helps you … Continue reading Anchor Friendships
Does living simply mean simply being mean?
"They can't just eat sawdust!" wailed one family member. "But it's Christmas, - they like getting lots of presents!" protested another when I baulked at the volume under the tree. It's one thing to change your own consumption habits. I can now look at reduced packets of the specialist cakes and biscuits I am restricted … Continue reading Does living simply mean simply being mean?
Grain of Sand 