Good morning, Prep School family,
I hope you are all well and enjoying the start of October. I cannot believe that September has been and gone and now Autumn is fully upon us.
Did you all have a good weekend? I spent Saturday at a family party, celebrating my Uncle Peter’s 90th birthday! It was so lovely to see so many of my family together in one room. We usually catch up at Christmas and have a family get together but due to lockdowns etc we haven’t seen each other all together for nearly 2 years. I was so good to finally meet up. It was not a huge party with lots and lots of people but it was so special as all the people Uncle Peter cares most about in the world were in that room, just for him. We even had a video message from my 91-year-old aunt who lives in Canada. It was perfect! My cousins did a speech and they spoke about all their wonderful memories of their grandad (my uncle). There were plenty of toasts and lots of cake eaten! Happy days.
On the drive home, I got to thinking about all of the changes in the world that my Uncle Peter has experienced in his life time. I think that I have witnessed a lot in my lifetime but it is unbelievable to look back and read about everything my Uncle has seen:
The invention of the world wide web, the discovery and mass production of penicillin, home computers, the universal declaration of human rights, the September 11th terrorist attacks in the US, the influence of Nelson Mandela, the break-up of the Soviet Union, the invention of the atomic bomb, the move towards and massive progress made in women’s rights, two World Wars, a man on the moon and space exploration, Rock ‘n’ Roll, email, the invention of the television, the reunification of Germany, Martin Luther King, The Civil Rights movement in the USA, the eradication of smallpox, the invention of the credit card, England winning the World Cup, the utterly horrific famine in Ethiopia and the subsequent 1985 Live Aid concert, the death of Princess Diana and the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, Take That forming and splitting up, FRIENDS (a favourite of my uncle) becoming successful, a global coronavirus pandemic. . . and this is only the tip of the iceberg.
I find things like this fascinating. The world, and our everyday lives, change so fast. Our world is ever evolving – the older I get the faster this change seems to occur. It does make me wonder what things will have changes/happened/been invented by the time you are all 90! Imagine that. . .
FYI – For those of you that are good at maths and are wondering. . . there is a 20 year age gap between my dad and his siblings – my dad was a real surprise to his mum and dad!
Quote of the week: “We are not in the same boat. We are in the same storm. Some have yachts, some have canoes and some are struggling to swim. Just be kind and help whoever you can” – Unknown
Well-being tasks for this week: These are all based on being optimistic for October. These are suitable activities for all ages. Try them as a family.
Tuesday 5 October – Be realistic but optimistic. See life as it is but focus on the good
Wednesday 6 October – Remind yourself that things can change for the better
Thursday 7 October – Look for the good in the people around you today
Friday 8 October – Make some progress on a task or a job that you have been avoiding
Saturday 9 October – Share a personal goal with a friend
Sunday 10 October – Reflect on your week and all you have accomplished
Monday 11 October – Avoid blaming yourself and others – find a useful way forward
Jokes of the week:
What do you call a man with a large, flat fish on his head? Ray!
What do you call a man with a spade on his head? Doug!
What do you call a man with a seagull on his head? Cliff!
Sleeps til Santa: 80 sleeps til Santa
5 things that I am grateful for or looking forward to this week:
Can you try this simple exercise in gratitude and positivity?
- I am looking forward to watching the new Bond movie
- I am looking forward to Made in Chelsea starting again soon (Please don’t judge! It’s my guilty pleasure!)
- I am grateful for gorgeous autumn sunrises
- I am grateful for a good book and a blanket on the sofa on a rainy day
- I am grateful that Mr Bennett is cooking my dinner this evening
I hope you can all think of things to look forward to but also to be grateful and thankful for.
Have a lovely week,
Lots of love,
Mrs Bennett
PS fun fact about Mrs Bennett – on this day 11 years ago, Michael Buble held my hand but I will save that story for another time. . .
