Seraphim Strings

Happy Sunday!

Hello, friends. It’s a gorgeous morning in Sydney, figs are in season (hooray!), we’ve slept in with daylight savings and a soft rain is falling.

I read such an interesting article this week about gratitude. Hillel Einhorn, a famous psychologist, once got a fortune cookie that said, “Don’t think about all the things you want that you don’t have. Think about all the things you DON’T HAVE that you DON’T WANT.”

That list is long, and it’s a list of gratitude. For example, here’s what I don’t have (that I don’t want):

  • illness (I’m healthy)

  • trying to find a place to live in a rental crisis environment (we have a home)

  • an unwell and suffering pet (our pup passed away suddenly—tough on us, but also a blessing not to suffer)

This is the 2x2 Happiness Matrix by David Epstein to visually explain the concept.

Luckily, we DON’T HAVE so much of what we DON’T want. That thought makes me grateful that my life is so very good.

Here’s to enjoying a wonderful weekend. We have the chance to rest, and to love all the people we’ve been given to love.

Catherine x

PS. The fun stuff!

  • Seraphim Strings’ Charity Concert was last night and it was gorgeous! Thank you for supporting our son and his friends. With your help, they raised $2,000 for charity. Loved seeing Sydney blog fans there, and I’m so grateful many of you bought and donated tickets from afar. You’re the best. Venue is gorgeous, built in 1883, and reasonably-priced. Booking info here.

  • Have you ever made your own butter? I was raised on farm-fresh, homemade butter! Here’s an easy way to do it at home with one ingredient. Plus salt.

  • Trays of figs are in season at Harris Farm.

  • Black studded boots — so cute in person and nearly sold out. I love mine.

A useful tip for you ❤️

Hi everyone, and hello to the new people who’ve joined us. I’m Catherine…author and writer of weekly inspiration for women around the world. Thank you for being here.

And thank you for all your messages from last week about my sad news. Hearts are healing, of course, and our routines are changing, but I want you to know that I lingered over every single email from all of you, and they were so, so healing.

Today, I want to share something I’ve talked about before—a tip that always works for me. And it’s Latin, so that means it’s extra-cool and memorable.

It may be something you’d like to try.

For me, as soon as bad news hits, I’m out the front door and walking. I’ve always been this way as long as I can remember: a walker and a thinker. There’s something about the walking that seems to resolve the pain, and help with confusion and sadness.

Life will roll on with good news and bad for all of us; no one magically has a perfect life. That’s why I like to have an immediate fallback when things go wrong.

I take a deep breath.

I put on my shoes.

I get outside and walk. And walk. And walk.

Solvitur ambulando. It is solved by walking…or if not solved, exactly, at least the movement of my feet feel like I’m heading into my future, trying to sort out my next steps.

It’s a good first response: when life bowls you over with a wave of bad news you weren’t expecting, remember that walking gives you a healthy way to move forward, even if it doesn’t change what’s happened.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone. Hug your friends, yourself, your kids and your beloved pets. This beautiful life of ours is so, so temporary.

Love, Catherine x

PS. The fun stuff!