The end of a long day

It has been a long Wednesday, but an interesting and productive one.

I was happy today that I made it up the hill on my bike. At the end of the park where I live, there is a railway bridge, and over it, a dirt track leading down to the main road. I like to cycle down there in the morning - it's short, but has enough rough and muddy bits to get me going first thing. Down is fun. But boy, does going up hurt these days! After not cycling (or indeed doing much else) since my knee injury in October, the old fitness level isn't what it used to be. Yesterday I borked, about three quarters of the way up the hill. But today - I made it to the top. Sweaty, yes. Puffing, yes. But I was there. And on only my third day back in the saddle, I thought it was some kind of achievement.

I will probably end up referring to this quite often on this blog, but the sun came out today, and that always makes me that little bit happier. Grateful, too, that spring is on its way, and it reminded me as well that the nights are light until past 6pm now. So having the sun beam down on me whilst out for a lunchtime meander put me in a better mood and optimistic about the season to come.

I'm about to start coaching a girls football team soon, and I went to a preliminary meeting with the girl who is coaching them now this evening. She wants to hand over after Easter (gulp) but I am heartened that I won't be taking it on alone. There will be a more experienced coach with me to start with, for the pre season and into the first season, while I find my feet and start my FA coach training.

So what does all this have to do with gratefulness, I hear you ask?

It struck me when I was talking to Sarah, the current coach of the team that I'll be taking on, that there are so many things in our communities that rely on the goodwill, time and energy of people like her who volunteer. We should be grateful every day for those people, who might teach our kids football, or be at events with the St John Ambulance to provide first aid, or like my BF, lead Scout groups. They might be people like the team where my mum lives who go to care homes to play board games with elderly residents. There are so many reminders in every community of the fundamental goodness of human nature and the will of people to reach out to one another - we should remember these things when it seems as if every second person is a potential terrorist, rapist or pest, when the hysteria gets too much. Most people actually want others to be happy, and they put a lot of effort into achieving that within their own spheres of influence.