STITCHING WITH JULIAN
Julian Odessa is celebrating those special moments of ‘everyday magic’ in our lives and says it's time to make others smile, just like the ladybird…
Hullo! Anyone who has been reading my articles for a while may have noticed that I’m a big fan of plants. I love my garden, but unfortunately so do pests – they’re forever nibbling on my produce! I’m all for live and let live – a few aphids here and there is really no big deal – but I also don’t want all my hard work to be turned into a smorgasbord for insects who have never pulled a weed in their lives.
Just like pests in the garden, the stresses of life are inevitable. A few here and there are easy to cope with and can even be quite motivating. But if it gets out of control, then the deleterious effects can overwhelm and destroy a carefully and lovingly cultivated environment. That’s where this month’s lile treasure comes in – the delicate and precious ladybird.
I always get a surge of happiness when I notice these lile legends in my garden – I know their presence will mean I’ll have an easier time of managing stress on my plants. Knowing that even a small amount of the load is being carried elsewhere, even if the ladybird has no idea of the help they’re providing, does a world of good. Additionally, it’s always nice to know I have lile friends out in the garden poering with me – daily life is so much beer shared.
That got me to thinking… in addition to noticing the lile things that make us happy, we can also notice the lile things that make others happy and be their ‘ladybird in the garden’. It’s such a joy to be able to put a smile on someone else’s face, but
I know I always feel twice as special when someone has paid aention to something that’s important to me and has gone out of their way to use it to brighten my day.
So, there’s no arguing that doing something nice for someone else is a sure-fire way of brightening your own world. We can each make a big difference in someone’s world (and our own!) through small, thoughtful actions. If you want to give it a shot, try stitching this ladybird paern to accompany a small gift for a friend – maybe combine it with a small bunch of their favourite flowers or a treat such as their favourite biscuits. Be the instigator of the lile things that make other people smile and we can all fill the world with happiness.
Stitch boldly!
Julian