I was talking with Helen and Suzy about how words and opinions might change the direction of someone’s life.

The young folk-singer had the audience where she wanted them; the lyrics were heart-tugging, her fingers rested on the guitar strings, she drew a breath and prepared for her sweet, clear voice to bring the song home.

Then her three-year-old daughter tugged her sleeve and said, “Mum, I need to show you something!”

The carefully crafted mood came crashing down – but everyone had a laugh. “I guess she didn’t realise you were working,” I said, afterwards. “She sees me playing and hears me singing around the house all the time,” my friend replied.

How wonderful, I thought, for your childhood to be ordinarily filled with music and the sound of mummy singing. “Were you not a little tempted to be annoyed?” I asked. “Hmmm…” she considered it. “If I was, I’d just remember – she’s the prettiest music I ever made.” Helen had always wanted to be a pianist, but her mum encouraged her to take the typing class at school, instead of music. “So, I never became a musician,” she said, wistfully.

“Ahh, but maybe you did,” Suzy said. “And the touch typing came in handy as well.” In response to our confused looks, she explained, “I’ve seen Helen type her poetry while gazing out the window at her garden. She’s been published in various magazines, and her words have made me laugh and cry. Isn’t that just like playing music?”

The world is a very practical place, but the beauty comes through. Sometimes, in ways so obvious we just don’t see them – until they are pointed out.

Make the most of a sunny day, Wave goodbye to chores, Save them for a rainy day, Instead, get out of doors. Walking, gardening, meeting a friend, Whatever you choose to do, It’s guaranteed to lift your mood,

The day is beckoning you.