A dear client of mine checked in with me last week to see how Live Well was going in the midst of the current upheaval. He remarked that despite the sadness and tumult of the last couple of weeks, at least the weather had been wonderful. I had to admit that I had been too caught up in the frenzy of events to really notice the weather, and thanked him not only for taking the time to write, but also for reminding me to not take this beautiful autumnal weather for granted.

It wasn’t long ago that, as we came out of the bushfire induced smoke-filled haze, I said to myself that never again would I take the pristine Canberra air for granted. How quickly I forgot. I’m guessing I’m not the only one.

One thing I’ve noticed in the last week or so is how many people are getting out and about for walks and bike rides and runs. It’s probably the result of gyms and other places of recreation being closed and the need to stave off cabin fever after a stressful day of working from home or home schooling, or even worse, both! I’m making a mental note to appreciate the clean air and autumn’s delightfully mellow character. Whilst we are all suffering at the moment, let’s remember to take pleasure in the small things that are still available.

Maybe it’s too soon to search for silver linings to this current hardship, but for me personally, I’m predicting that once the current restrictions are lifted, I may for a long time afterwards be more acutely aware of the sweetness of the company of friends and family who for now are off limits.

As that wise old sage and poet Rumi put it: “Burdens are the foundations of ease and bitter things the forerunners of pleasure”. As we surrender our freedoms now in the service of the greater good, equally, may we remember to revel in them again when they are restored. And in the interim, whilst we wait out this period of constraint, may we find joy in the sometimes overlooked simple pleasures that remain.