Appreciation

My wife and I were talking about how difficult it is for some people during this Covid-19 pandemic. We’ve been incredibly fortunate and I count my blessings every day. I know what it’s like to be out on your ass without two coins to rub together, walking around aimlessly with no idea what you’re going to do. It’s hard out there. It’s always been hard, and sometimes you just get lucky and life throws you a line. And sometimes you’re not. We don’t have control over these things, but we do have control over whether or not we want to be assholes about it. And that’s what I want my son to appreciate - that kindness is a courageous and powerful choice even if the universe sometimes tells us otherwise.

And there’s another thing he will need to remember when he appreciates the things that life has put his way. That almost everything he touches, eats, wears, or drinks has been picked, sorted, reared, assembled, or created through the labour of another. Apples don’t just magically appear in the supermarket or in our kitchen. Clothes aren’t just found in shops and warehouses. Our lives and our labour connect us all together, and the natural world that we live in. We’re part of an enormous, wonderful, and, at times, frightening fabric. We’re not islands. And even when life can be difficult, we are not alone.