Fiona writes: Leonard, from my gentle mystery novel 'The Blue Handbag', is getting a new lease of life. The book has a brand new cover and a brand new name, '
Small Kindnesses'.
Our big launch day is Tuesday the 27th of November. The novel will be free on kindle for the day, and we're organising a
Small Kindnesses Blogsplash where you will write about a small kindness on your own blog. If anyone wants to write a short review on Amazon for us as soon as possible (i.e. within a few weeks), do
email me and I'll be happy to send you a free PDF right away.
In today's newsletter I'm sharing my own story of a small kindness, and our favourite of this week's
small stones from our blogzine
a handful of stones. Have lovely weeks, all.
How Bagpuss made me cry. We were in the middle of a long long drive back from Scotland, where my parents were living at the time. Me, my ex-partner and his little daughter in our tiny Renault. I was in a terrible mood.
My ex had done most of the driving. I alternatively stewed, silently, or snapped at the two of them. I couldn't remember why I felt so terrible.
We stopped at a service station, and I was so deep into my funk that I refused to leave the car and stretch my legs They asked me if I wanted anything. 'No'.
I sat and fumed.
As they returned, my ex handed me a pink & white striped Bagpuss cuddly toy. They were both smiling. I'd hankered after a Bagpuss for a long time, and they'd remembered. They'd seen it and thought of me, despite how horrible I'd been to them. I burst into grateful tears.
When you pressed his tummy, he yawned - yrrwwwrooaooAAAWWwwwww.
I kept this Bagpuss for many years - the baggy, saggy old cat with a yawn that never stopped working. He reminded me of how deeply we can be touched by small kindnesses. How they can remind us of how loved we are, despite our faults. How they can remind us of the good stuff in life when we've lost our way.
Even now, as I remember that yrrwwwrooaooAAAWWwwwww, the tears come to my eyes. This small kindness still holds warmth and it always will.
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Photo by diamond geezer via Creative Commons, with thanks.
