29/12/2022

“Looks like everything is OK👍 ”

It’s early in the morning. Magpies are cooing outside as I stoke the hot red coals of the fire from the night before.

We’ve regained an old winter habit, loading up the fireplace before bed to ensure there are still coals left in the morning. It’s unseasonably cold in the Macedon Ranges, the caretaker advised we may see some snow on the mount. My sister has been keeping an eye on the live camera broadcast from the Top of the Range Tearoom, just in case there is snowfall, Justice would love to see it.

I slip my feet into some pink fluffy slippers my parents bought for me as a souvenir of home. I chuckle as I think of Mum’s face when I pointed out how much I liked them in the shop, “I never would have picked those for you in a million years,” she laughed. I love how campy they are.

I watch the red gum logs catch after I’ve opened up the air intake. The house is silent aside from the magpies and cockatoos outside. Nat is staying with us, I’m excited to sit at the table and eat breakfast with her, discussing what today’s plan of action should be. It’s strange to see her as a 25-year-old adult, in my head she’s still 19 and at university. 

Life has been turbulent these last few months, but now it feels as though the dust has settled. We spend our mornings feeding the king parrots on the verandah, walking to the train station and drinking coffee. I have a job interview tomorrow morning, I’m really excited about the role. I try to figure out what my day will look like so I can have adequate time to prepare. I hear the floorboards down the hallway creak, someone is awake. I stay curled up in the chair, inspecting my emails in anticipation of my upcoming interview, as Justice enters the living room. He tells me good morning, gives me a kiss and turns the kettle on. As he goes about his own morning routine I see an email titled “Looks like everything is OK👍 ”

We have an agreement with our Polish neighbours to watch each other’s homes when we go on holiday. Having watched their home during a three-month holiday across Europe, Matthias and Krystina have returned the favour. In the email, Matthias reported that one of our neighbours sustained some roof damage during the latest tropical storm, but that our home is fine. I show Justice as he pulls on his wool socks, he smirks at the email and agrees that we should get them a souvenir today.

I find myself staring at the title of the email for a few minutes, zoning out as the house begins to rustle to life. Nat’s awake now too, Justice is tinkering on the piano, and the fire is crackling away. Everything really is okay. Quiet mornings in the countryside are exactly what I needed. Reconnecting with my homeland, sharing its magic with my husband, and exploring with some of my favourite people have all replenished me. 

As we see the year come to an end, I encourage you to find quiet among all the festivities. You may find that the peaceful hum of ordinary life is of great comfort.

Food For Thought

"If you can recognize and accept your pain without running away from it, you will discover that although pain is there, joy can also be there at the same time."
— Thich Nhat Hanh, No Mud, No Lotus

"The humblest tasks get beautified if loving hands do them."
— Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

"Seek awe and nature daily... show kindness; practise grace; eschew vanity; be bold; embrace friends, family, faith and doubt, imperfection and mess; and live deliberately."
— Julia Baird, Phosphorescence: A Memoir of Finding Joy When Your World Goes Dark