January 30th 2026 Normal Normal What is normal, I ask myself? Is there such a thing? When we were younger, we took more risks. As we age, this little rock of fear finds its way into our architecture. We don’t jump. Climb. Learn a new skill. Or throw caution to the wind. Normal is a rollercoaster. The beauty of age is that most people who make it past five decades have the scars of life. We know that life serves up horror, hardship, breakdown, injustice, cruelty. Often all on the same plate at...

January 28th 2026 Happiness and despair, complementary pairs Happiness and despair, complementary pairs Much has been written about happiness in recent times. While I am a fan of being happy, why place the search for happiness at the centre of our existence? For one to know true happiness, one must also know the depths of despair. Yet we avoid despair, and when we are in despair, we see ourselves as if we have a nasty disease. Yet it is through the lens of sadness and despair that we find...

January 27th 2026 Crying over a chicken Crying over a chicken I am howling with grief as I write this. We had to euthanise little Stephanie, the chicken. She was such a fighter. One of her legs did not work, for a reason not known to us. We hand-fed her for nearly a week. And still she persisted. Even after being attacked by a huge goanna. The shock would have killed most animals of her size. I am aware that my grief is a flood of tears from all the grief of these past two months. I watched...