Every day angels

September, September. I love this time of year, the feeling of potential it engenders. As we move towards Autumn Equinox towards the end of the month, the earth's energies are turning inwards, preparing us for the quiet, reflective and still winter months. But I always feel energised and enlivened at this time of year. Perhaps it's something to do with it being the traditional back-to-school time, but I want to embark on new projects, learn something exciting and actively engage with things again. I woke at about 7am this morning to a world shrouded in mist, with a sun earnestly trying to break through. The garden was covered in cobwebs sparkling with dew, something I hadn't seen in a long time. It took my breath away, the natural world on the cusp of change like this, and I welcomed in a new season, a new chapter.

On my drive up the seemingly deserted road, I spotted a woman who we've met a few times through the workshops we hold. She's always bright and bubbly, and I liked her immediately when we first met. This morning she'd come out to take a few photos of the mist hugging the sea. She asked about the adoption, as she'd followed our journey over the last couple of months through our sporadic chats. I explained where we're at, told her about yesterday's debacle, and ended by saying the stock phrase I expect everyone to say; "we'll get there in the end". So many people have said this to me that I had begun saying it myself. "Yes, you will," she smiled. "But in the meantime, it's really really frustrating for you, isn't it?" I wanted to get out of the car and hug her. Sometimes it means so much just to have your feelings validated, not to have someone brush them under the carpet with cliches like "you'll get there in the end", but to really engage with what it might feel like. As I left her with her camera, I glanced in my rearview mirror and smiled and smiled like a loon at her. Thank you, I hope my smile said. Thank you for really being just who I needed to see this morning.

On the subject of every day angels, I wanted to tell a story about my brother-in-law's mum. A few days after I'd written a post about feeling invisible as an adoptive mum, she came up to me when I was on my own in my sister's kitchen. She put her arms around me. "Congratulations, mum-to-be," she said. And those words meant more to me than I can say.

All those every day angels, thank you. And today you have inspired me to try to be an every day angel too.