Jane Wallman-Girdlestone

  
Jane and Connie bored in traffic today.
I wonder sometimes if we don’t think too much about the future and not enough about squeezing every last ounce of worth out of the moment.

Call me old fashioned but I don’t think a saying on Facebook or a fridge magnet is necessarily a  fertile source of wisdom.  What sticks for me are people.  The glue in experiences; the honey in the sandwich of life; the challenge when things go wrong or when you are trying to make sure everything stays right.

People are professionally intriguing to me as a writer, chaplain and therapist, but I’m not talking about that.  People are the  exchange rate of my life.  It’s true that I, alone, ultimately set my value and worth, of course, that is the way of emotional good health, but others are the inspiration I need to strive and improve.

I don’t mean I’m competitive.  I’m not, except with myself. I’m a disaster to play quizzes with because I like to award points for intelligent or imaginative answers as well as right ones.  Eccentric I own with alacrity.

I tune in to people who like life.  Many of them are marginalised; some would never believe in a million years that they are an inspiration to me.

I had the privilege of spending time with such a person today.  It is like drinking a refreshing glass of your favourite cold drink on a hot,  sticky day.  I felt encouraged, inspired and able to be a little surer, a little clearer about me now.

I was reminded today that this moment is all I know I have.  I must exchange it for experience wisely.