Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton

How many of you can remember lying back on some grass and staring at the clouds as a child? Perhaps being able to see faces and shapes of different kinds. I know I did. The sky has always fascinated me. I love blue skies. I think we all do. I can remember as a child being with a friend and both of us lying on the grass seeing what we could see in the clouds, being so near the earth and the smell of grass and waiting for the grass to be mown, so that we could make our own little place by stacking all the loose grass. I also love walking barefoot on the grass and feeling the coolness under my feet. These things were so common to me as a child. It’s strange how as we grow into adults we get so caught up in a busy life that we don’t take the time to appreciate these simple things.

I recently bought a 3 seater garden swing seat with canopy for my garden because I have felt the urge to be outside more in the garden, especially as the weather has been so good lately. Perhaps I will be able to walk barefoot on the grass again. I also think it will be an opportunity for me to read more. I am a therapist and as such need to keep my knowledge current. I have so many books they are practically falling off the shelves. I am ashamed to say that I have not read them all, but this will give me the chance to read some of them. I have some really interesting books to read too. One of them is called “The Interpretation of Fairy Tales.” by Marie-Louise Von Franz. I think most people realise that fairy tales appeal to children so much because children can lose themselves in the story and relate sometimes to many of the characters and their plights. Psychologically, fairy tales open up a world of imagination and sometimes characters become allies in a child’s world to help them deal with some of their own fears and difficulties. There is still a child in all of us and I would dearly love to incorporate fairy tales into my work with adults.

So how did I get from looking at the sky to fairy tales? I am afraid  my mind tends to go all over the place but I feel there is a connection. The connection I see is the wonder of a child’s mind. The ability to be open to imagination. I feel I have always had an open mind, thank God. I would hate to have a closed mind. To be that rigid is like death to me. As I get older, I notice how I think about my childhood more and more and notice that there is still a child of wonder in me. My father said once that he was losing his short term memory but remembering earlier years more. Perhaps that is the way things go as you get older? I really don’t know for sure but it’s a curious thought. Not long ago I felt very limited and lost, slightly depressed as I was ill with a very bad cold and cough. It really dragged me down. Now I am feeling better, it is like I am coming out of the clouds and can see the sun again. Just writing this post has made me realise that there are so many things about life to explore at any age.

Love and hope to all who may be reading this.

Gillian x