I really do believe that St George's Day should be a national holiday.... we should all stop and appreciate this green and pleasant land in which we live. In today's environment we are bombarded with headlines of doom and gloom about our country and what state it is in. And yes, the situation is indeed dire....but it is not the be and end all. Whilst we are all affected by the current problems, there is more to life than the economy and negative headlines ....I know....without elaborating at this point, my life encompasses a very unwanted element at present which has given me a unique perspective and enables me to appreciate the positives in my own life. Whilst we all need money to live and have bills to pay , it is not such things as money that touches our heart and uplifts our spirit. It is the simple things in life, the irreplaceable things of no tangible value that mean the most. But we often miss this in the day to day rush of our busy lives. It is only if something makes you stop or falter that you realise what counts.
Our country is beautiful, but most of us have never travelled through more than a tiny portion. A holiday here immediately spikes thought of bad weather, bad food and naff beach resorts. And yes there is that element...but like most things there is always another perspective to consider....I would love to sit on a cliff top watching a storm play out over the sea (from the safety of my car of course)...well-cooked fish and chips is delicious and we have an abundance of coastline littered with little unspoilt bays. Okay if you want a suntan England or the UK would not be your first choice, but it depends what you are looking for. My family not being able to travel abroad, in the last few months have had a couple of breaks in the UK, not at all the sort of holiday we would normally plan ( I really am a fan of hot weather and 5* hotels). In doing so I have discovered another type of holiday that I enjoy....just being away from it all - a simple escape from routine ....not caring what the weather is like...but enjoying the days with my children with kites and bikes and rockpooling on the beach and simply enjoying the view....spending the evenings with close family around a fire with a box of trivial pursuit and simply enjoying being with them.
We have much to be grateful for in this country...for most of us probably people and places. I am fortunate that I live in a village with a close community. People do say hello in the morning, there is a community of which we are very much a part of. Whilst there is always a bad apple for the most part people are kind and good and trustworthy and more than happy to help....and we should focus on these tremendous positives, particularly in times such as now. I have cows in the field next to my house and a river running along the bottom of the hill but I am often too busy in my whirlwind of a day to stop and look. This St George's day I am going to stop and take the time to appreciate my family, friends and surroundings which for me are England, my green and pleasant land.
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