You have ‘the spark’.

Allow me to explain.

The Spark is the will to volunteer that which is not required but nevertheless valued by the recipient. It creates warmth, light, and, occasionally, the fire of friendship. It can be simple like a smile, or as generous as a useful piece of information that will enrich the other person.

We’ve been blessed. After much anticipation (and some anxiety) we managed to get a week away in Devon with my Dad and my sister – free from covid or any other infection that would otherwise have compromised a holiday long desired. I’ve not been away with my sister from the best part of 50 years.

The weather was perfect, the locations inspiring, but above all, it was the spark in others that made the holiday so pleasantly memorable.

Leisel in the Co-op entertained us with her wit, her spark ignited by me addressing her as ‘Ma’am’ instead of so many people calling her ‘girl’ (she’s in her 60s.) Respect can light a spark.

Adrian in the Chinese take-away took pride in the chef’s excellence, and when we responded with genuine interest, many delightful anecdotes followed. Of course, it helped that I remembered his name the second time we met.

The jewel in the crown was Dick, a volunteer at The Guildhall in Totnes. His generosity with historical information, wrapped in his enthusiasm, was a dish fit for the many Mayors who have served this historic town – a town hailed as the birthplace of Britain. (From ‘Brutus’ – the prince who landed here.) Dick’s spark required nothing more than two keen listeners fuelled by their own curiosity.

It takes two for a spark to catch alight. One volunteers the smile, the desirable information, the delightful wit; the other encourages the gift.

No burden will be laid on us today other than an invitation to encourage any spark we encounter – to encourage it to glow brighter.

But if you’re up for a bolder adventure – you have the spark. Today, you could be the rainbow in someone else’s cloud.

Lex

A Moodscope member.