Why would anyone in their right mind consider personal life journalling?

That’s what I used to think, but once you look at the data it is good for the way your brain processes memories and it is good for mental health and a lot more so finally starting.

Today was an odd day, T is on leave from work at the moment for ten days so she can make a start on her MBA. We were spending a lot of time together and it was not always pleasant. Too much time perhaps.

But I realise now it was the pressure of visas, having one of the worst passports in the world in terms of freedom, health, colleagues, fixing up the house, losing a dearly loved pet and a few other things that were actually the issues.

The last week while she has been on holidays have been wonderful, we are literally back to the start of our relationship again – four plus years ago – in terms of enjoying each other’s company. Even simple daily tasks like washing the clothes and getting petrol in the bikes is enjoyable.

It has reminded me how much I love her and what an odd but very good fit we are together despite different cultures, languages, backgrounds, experiences, professions we have so much in common that is evident every day since we first saw each other – nearly five years ago – while we were in other relationships.

As the sun was setting I went for a walk on the beach, often T joins me (not enough I say) but today she was studying so I would be solo. We had a late lunch together first and watched a new show then I headed down to the local beach for a sunset walk, but no sunset tonight, it was very quiet and dark, the clouds were rolling in and most people and even the soi dogs had headed to the restaurants to escape the incoming rain.

Some poor people obviously had a romantic dinner on the sand planned with bamboo structures and white billowing silk like material in front of the nicer hotels but they were rained out, at least temporarily.

I went for a swim despite the risk of lightning and really felt grateful for the warmth, salty taste, light warm breeze and plonking heavy rain drops. My eyesight is failing as I get older and the eye glasses are getting thicker but these things seemed perfect.

It made me think of other things apart from journalling that I know I need to do more and one of them is appreciating what we have rather than hoping for something different. This is called ‘avoiding the second arrow’ as Buddha used to say and I think it is one of his wisest observations. Life can be crap but we can make the decision to focus on that we have and what we control and enjoy what little we do like and decide not to pine for other things.

Missing the kids a lot lately it has been so long.

Just made us both a nice mug of tea each and remembered another thing I was going to try and do, fit a few more natural products and whole foods into our diet so asked her if she would like local wild flower honey in her Dilmah. We both enjoyed it and got to use two little hand made timber paddle spoons instead of teaspoons so we can scoop the last drop of honey from the bottom of these big old mugs.

Big old mugs, just like me really, I turned 58 last week and T turned 34 just a little earlier. People still say I look like I am 35-45 which is nice but absolute bull and from time to time I have felt like a 25 year old just not every day of the week. We both took a weird health test recently with a digital scale and sensors that estimate your metabolic age, supposedly I am 43 and T is 30 so 25%+ and 10%+ improvement respectively not too shabby. The machine doesn’t measure the extensive bags under my eyes or the recent headaches and suspected skin cancers but hey this bollocks does make you feel better.

Maybe it is all in the mind.