so, in the last few months, my business hit a bit of a rough patch, which was new and unfamiliar territory, and not in a good way!
in eight years of running my little business, it's been busy and at times, i've had to turn work away, but for some reason, from about June through until October this year, it was really slow. i'm thankful to say things have picked up and i am now feeling cautiously optimistic but still, it's made me rethink a whole bunch of my spending patterns...
although, this has had some surprising outcomes
aside from the joy in finding a bargain (i've always been like that), the key change has been that i made a decision to stop buying books and instead, join my local library
well, what an absolute treat that has been
from the first time i tentatively set foot in the Kingston Branch, the staff were welcoming, helpful and friendly. one staff member in particular, Cass, has been the most generous and kind person and i often make a point of ducking in there just to say hi to her, even if i have no need to go in...
today, i went in to pick up a book i've had reserved for nearly a month, so that was exciting enough as it was finally my turn, and it's arrived before christmas, so no need to wait until January, yay!
an hour or so before going in today, i had a really disappointing conversation with my Mum...it's not the first, it won't be the last, but it really upset me, and whilst I always apologise if i've overstepped, she never does, and the only reason i went to visit her today was to say goodbye before she goes away for a few days tomorrow
utterly disappointing...
anyway, when i got to my local library, there was Cass with her friendly 'hi darlin' which instantly made me feel glad i'd dropped in
we talked, she told me a bit more about her superannuation challenges, she asked if i was ok, i told her about the discussion and she came around from behind the counter and gave me a hug...
truly, it was just what i needed...
then, she was showing me some stuff on her phone about a post about superannuation and when she went unlock her phone, i saw a photo of a gorgeous young girl as her screen saver - she told me it was her granddaughter - i told her how much she looked like Cass and she said 'she died a year ago'
we talked a bit about that, and then we got back to talking about her super, as this is a conversation we've been having over a couple of my recent visits
she shared her most recent statement with me and asked me to explain it (thankfully, I was able to do that), and we talked about how she might access government support once she retires (she's over 60 but not yet 67 so not yet eligible for the age pension)
what struck me today is how much she has gone through (she shared a fair bit more of her story with me today), how matter of fact she is about her challenges and how kind she is...
a few weeks ago i'd never laid eyes on her, in reality, we've spoken maybe 5-10 times, but her kindness towards me today touched me deeply, and my visit to the library was so much more than a visit to the library.....
when she finally retires, i will miss her welcoming happy face more than i can say...she IS the Kingston Library to me (although frankly, each and every one of the other staff members i have met, are also lovely and helpful)....
her kindness makes me want to be a better person....
it was really slow.....
and, if i'm being honest, it freaked me out a bit....
