One of my favourite smells in the world is just after a heavy dose of rain/rainstorm. Especially in the summer, it just smells fresh and new and like the dousing of rain washed away some of the grime left from previous events.

Life can become monotonous when you have any sort of long-term illness. The routine or what you can expect out of a day just becomes an autopilot, muscle memory lead segment in time. Whilst this is true that life sometimes is boring (or most of the time), I still want to witness to the world around me. I want to try and see the world through fresh eyes or the eyes of a small child. Children are just full of wonder at the world. The excitement of spotting an animal they know the name of to them is palpable. As adults, we might reply “Yes, a ducky, another one” but they do not have the mentality of a checklist of sights. To see a duck fives times is just as special as the first identified time.

I know when you are stuck inside a bed and you feel like you’ve memorised the view outside and the four walls you stare at you can feel very far removed from the world and its everchanging state. Being in that position is really tough and not something I take lightly as I’ve been there myself. But try to see the difference in light quality or notice the shade of the leaves on the trees or the grime build up on the wall opposite.

We have an opportunity not all people have,  to look up and be curious about our surroundings. Most are too focused on the now and the jobs of today they are blind to what is right in front of them.

The late Professor Stephen Hawkings once said “One, remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Two, never give up work. Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it. Three, if you are lucky enough to find love, remember it is there and don’t throw it away.”

I want to briefly add that work doesn’t mean a job as such work can be in all sorts of ways. I just thought it was such amazing advice I wanted to included it even if it doesn’t fit exactly with the rest of the blog post.  Life renews and like just after a rainstorm the world is fresher. Look up.