Hello friends — so many new people here this week from England and Canada! It’s Catherine Greer writing to you from wintery Sydney, Australia, where the camellias are in bloom. I tried to take a selfie so you’d know who’s writing to you, and also so you could see the camellias on my street.
If you’re new, I’m an author, a mum, a wife and a lover of everything beautiful: outdoors, sunsets, baking, flowers, shoes (!!) and yep, poetry and books, too.
Today, I want to ask an important question that women are NEVER asked:
Let me tell you a story: two years ago, I went on a weekend away with some girlfriends and I took a little gift for each of them. I bought them each a lovely Crabtree and Evelyn hand cream wrapped in my favourite paper with ribbons. (I love, love, love wrapping gifts.)
Some women squealed and opened their gifts straight away. They dove in and slathered their hands. Some women tentatively unscrewed the tops and sniffed appreciatively. But there was one woman in our group who—bless her—just wasn’t able to receive my gift.
She couldn’t even bring herself to unwrap it.
She was the most giving of all of us, the most routinely sacrificial…but she had an impossible time receiving.
That’s why I’m asking you to take a second now and think: can you receive?
Can you say YES to good things and beautiful opportunities?
I think the key is to slow down a little in almost every way: walk more slowly, consider your responses slowly, move with some grace…and take your time, my dear.
Take your time.
Allow the world to give you a few things today. Look for the gifts. Receive them. Pause and say thank you.
Let’s give it a whirl on this beautiful Sunday.
Love Catherine x
PS. The fun stuff!
Beautiful South Africans helping the firefighters in my beloved Canada — I’m Canadian (first) and Aussie (last). I’m so hoping everyone is coping with these terrible fires.
I am in love with these…available at Harris Farm.
I’d like to get better at eye shadow. She makes it look beautiful and easy.
One of my jobs as a writer is to uplift and inspire women in real ways. No fluff…just practical steps. New friends — my best loved book, The 10 Minute Fix, is here in Canada, in America, in the UK, in Germany and in Australia. I’m busy writing a sequel. If you love to write, there’s a beautiful 6x9 inch The 10 Minute Fix Journal too, and every page is different, with over 200 writing prompts. You can get your journal here in America, in Canada, in the UK and in Australia. (Photo: at my favourite beach in Australia…)
