Posted: by Jo Friday, 25 March 2022 @ 15:28
Spring
really is here now
– with a spell of glorious sunshine around the Spring
Equinox, gorgeous Magnolias in full bloom across the country, and the clocks
having firmly moved forwards to herald the start of British Summer Time.
I
was lucky enough to have a weekend down in Cornwall, as well as one up in the
Lake District, in March – and enjoyed beautiful weather for both.
It
always amazes me how much difference sunshine makes to life – but it’s
completely true that it does. Somehow, everyone seems to be smiling. Life seems
a little lighter and happier. And we are able to forget the stress and anxiety
of everyday life for a while when the sun is out.
I
certainly had that feeling during my weekend in the Lake District. Walking
around Buttermere on a glorious blue-sky-and-sunshine day, watching the light
glinting off the water – the problems of the world seemed a million miles away.
Circles of influence
To
be honest, it was a welcome relief. Along with most of the population, I have
been struggling to stop thinking about the horrendous situation in Ukraine,
almost 24/7. People who should have been celebrating Spring and enjoying the
change of season, instead being bombed out of their homes and fleeing for their
lives. A sunny weekend beside the water gave my mind a brief respite from the
horrors of what is happening.
We
can all try to do something practical – donate money, offer a place to stay, or
volunteer to help new arrivals – but it doesn’t stop the crushing feelings of
anger and despair at the impact of one man’s actions.
But
then, I find it useful to remember the ‘circles of influence’, talked about in
so many self-development books. Try to focus on what we can influence – and
take action where we can. But with things that we simply cannot influence –
keeping ourselves positive may be a better plan that giving in to fear and
worry.
If we
can remain positive, we can be a beacon of hope to others. And if we truly appreciate
all that we have, we will never take it for granted. We may be in difficult and
anxious times, but there are people who are a lot worse
off than ourselves, and we should therefore value and appreciate our own good
fortune even more.
March
saw us celebrate Mother’s Day
– with many orders here at Mantra bought as
appreciative gifts for a mum. We have many mantras that are perfect for this
most important person in your life, but the Sunflower, with its simple but
heartfelt mantra, ‘Life is better with you in it’, has proven the most loved.
For
those of us who have lost our mums, Mother’s Day can be a challenging time. But
for me, I like to use the day to think even more about Mum than I normally do; and
to take some time to think about how lucky I was to have her in my life for
fifty years.
I am no
sadder on Mother’s Day than I am on any other day. Three and a half years on, I
still miss my mum like mad. I still feel that the world was a lighter, brighter
and happier place for me, when Mum was still in it. But I also recognise that I
was one of the lucky ones. I was able to spend a lot of time with her in those
last two years of her life – which were pre-Covid - and she passed away
peacefully at home, in her own bed, at 81 years of age. There are many people
who aren’t as fortunate as me.
Spring Sale
This
month, we also launched our Spring Sale, reducing some of our pieces by 25 to
50%. There are some amazing pieces in the sale, and we are keeping it going through Easter, so it’s a great chance to stock up on some gifts for
later in the year.
We know
how incredibly hard it is right now to make ends meet, so I hope our Spring
Sale might bring some of our inspiring pieces to within a more accessible price
range for some people.
The Courtauld Gallery
I ended
this month with a very cultural day, heading to one of my favourite London
destinations, the Courtauld Gallery. It has been closed for a refurbishment for
3 years now, so it was wonderful to be back in front of some of my most-loved
paintings.
I was
meant to be there with a friend, but challenges at work kept her tied up, so I
went on my own. While it would have been lovely to be there with her, there are
many joys to doing things alone sometimes. Being able to stand in front of a
favourite painting for much longer than would be acceptable with someone else; going
back around to the same room again to take another look; popping into the
National Gallery on a whim as I walked past, just to see my favourite Van Gogh painting that I hadn’t seen for years…
So, a cultural
end to my month, and the freedom to do as I pleased!
Well,
that’s all for this month. I really hope you all have a brilliant April; I hope
the sun keeps on shining; and I hope a peaceful outcome in Ukraine can be
reached this month to stop the killings.
Jo xxx
