Work shadows

Another sunny day with cold parts at the start and end.

I now have clarity from the construction manager about my concerns with the concrete block wall in the garage. What a difference technical expertise makes. He's gone beyond that and will make sure my house record that any future issues will be dealt with (not that it's likely to happen).

So my heart is truly light as incompetence and concerns fade away. That just leaves the remedial work to be done (in the next week or 2), and me to be reimbursed for the report I had done (should be by the end of the week).

A light heart is a relative thing. I've said little about this week's horrific bombing in Manchester. It's far away and yet it's easy to identify with. People and a culture not dissimilar to mine.

That's the challenge, to not become desensitized to the bombs and carnage in Iraq or Syria that regularly kill children. That's my dis-ease. That a bomb in the UK is easier to relate to than a bomb in Sudan, Iraq, Afghanistan, or Syria.

I feel so powerless in the face of such evil. We've also seen kindness and generosity. If we all exercised a bit more compassion, kindness, and generosity what an impact we would have in our daily lives.

And that brings me to today's gratitude. One part of my daily cycle commute is a little fraught because of road works and work on a section of the cycle track. It's busy, narrow, and I'm on edge for 5-10 minutes as I negotiate foot paths, roads, road cones, and traffic.

Today I waited to cross as an endless line of traffic passed. A kind man saw my plight and stopped so I could cross and make the most of a timely gap in traffic going the other way. My face lit up and our grins met. I was able to safely cross because of his kindness and generosity.

It made me realise that small acts of kindness and generosity can have a big impact.