Grateful: Day 24 - Sparkles

A warm morning. An on-time train. Early, even. It sits and waits on the platform, so people don't get cross at missing it.

This morning, it was Ruth who lent me her wetsuit gloves, so I had the use of my fingers again even right after my swim. Ignore what I said about the swans yesterday - they were right up there in the swimmy bit with us. Big buggers, they are. I was wary.

The water was delightful. Even now, at 'considerably warmer than it will be in January', I get a prickling sensation on the top back of my arms and shoulders. Like row upon row of little pins. It's a separate sensation, though. I can feel it, but it's like it's happening to somebody else. I'm still blown away by the body's capacity to keep the vital bits warm.

There were three or four ladies, Frankie, Jane, Ruth and someone I see every day whose name I still don't know, talking in raised voices about the barbarism of the Old Testament. I think its authors were called 'opinionated bastards' at some point. And somebody said something like 'And Abraham! What kind of an example is that!'. Nowhere else am I privileged to be part of such conversations. According to Mary, it was mostly the similarities between Welsh and French yesterday.

The steps down to the trains at Belsize Park tube sparkle like they're covered in glitter. Not the yellow paint on the edges, but all the rest of it. Fairy stairs (in your honour, Catherine). I like it.

An unexpected phone snip with Esther Lilley before getting on the tube really set my day in motion in the best way possible. Hippy warning: Esther Lilley has taught me so much about loving people. When she first said she was a little bit in love with everyone she meets, I'm not sure I quite got it, but I do now. There's something magical in everyone, and in most interactions or observations, some of it shows through.

And I now love lots of different people quite intensely, and the more I do, the more of it there is and the easier it all is. Just like magic beans, this love stuff. Just like them.

My day at the Hub made me grateful for many things. Lovely people. Amaya has one of the best faces ever. We did demon voice throwing at tea-time. She'd move her mouth and I'd make her say stuff. I got to work with Kate for the first time properly. She was a delight. And I"m always so pleased to see Multilingual Alex and Andy Hix. I laughed a lot.

I also felt glad that I don't have a job. I really do like working for myself. I'd forgotten that feeling of being somewhere because you're employed to be there for a set amount of time rather than because you've got a sense of purpose. It's not that I didn't have a lovely time - I really, really did - and it made me glad again.

And then I did a ninja yoga class. Ninja in that it was just what I needed. I've been meaning to go for it for months and I've had a scrunched up flyer in my bag for all that time. I finally went and on this very day, the topic they talked about was exactly what the content of my coaching call was about yesterday. Jigsaw fit. I almost heard music.

It was a good, deep, spiritual class with some fairly intense postures. I felt strong and calm from about 5 minutes in. It was a full 2-hour class as well. It was taught by a Polish man with very clear skin and sparkling eyes. In repose, a very serious face indeed, with occasional radiant smiles and crows feet.

He was speaking with a lot of conviction and passion, dampened a little by the Polish downward inflection. I was very curious and inspired, though, and he pleased me very much by saying 'This is not THE way. This is one way. Please remember that.'

My sandwich was exactly what I wanted, reduced from £3 to 74p. Get in!

The ladies on the telly singing love for their men a long way away at war made me cry with their hearts coming out in every note. I may not agree with that war, or feel patriotic and proud of our troops as required, but that depth of emotion fills me with humbleness and respect. The song was beautiful and heartfelt.

And now I'm going to bed, for which I am very, very grateful.

Oh yes.