Three Wednesday Things

A fidgety and angsty start to the day, but on my walk with Tally, three good things happened to cheer me up:

1. There was a peony out in full bloom in the park. A pink one with white tentacles inside, searching for the sun as if it was under water. Leaves were already falling, reminding me just what short lives these flowers have. I wanted to rush back home and see if the tight buds I bought yesterday had started to open.

2. A man was lying flat out on a bench. His head and body were covered but he'd taken off his socks and trainers, placing them neatly, side by side, under the bench. I thought he was asleep, but as I walked past, his bare toes wiggled.

3. Some teenagers were sitting under a tree, having pulled the branches down so low they'd made a tent for themselves. One of them - a friend of my daughter's - shouted out hello as I passed, and I made them laugh by pretending not to have known they were there. Teenagers are the very best - I just wish we didn't seem to be so frightened of them.