Things to Look Forward to: 52 large and small joys for today and every day
I first saw this book mentioned by Sophie Blackall on Instagram late in 2020 and so I placed an advance order for a copy. Today it arrived.
In October 2020 Sophie wrote:
I am determined to make a list of Things To Look Forward To. Flowers which look like furry brains, for example. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, cockscombs or celosia are blooming now. You can pat them. They might make your head feel a tiny bit better. ... (later she wrote) I’m making a list of Things To Look Forward To. A daily reminder that no matter how bad things seem, there is always something bright on the horizon, even if we have to squint to see it.
When Sophie mentioned her book idea in 2020 people responded with so many beautiful ideas such as: hugs, gardens, a blue moon, and grandchildren.
In 2020 our world changed. Sophie Blackall, like many of us, was "full of anxiety and fear and grief and uncertainty." One morning she decided to make a list of things to look forward to and now we have this gentle, wise, beautiful book.
With fifty two things you could place this book on a stand and turn a page each week of the year.
Here are some that resonated with me.
#1 The sun coming up
#4 Baking something for someone
#14 Listening to a song you've heard before
#16 A flock of birds
#21 The full moon
#32 Finding something you thought you'd lost
#51 Making a list
Here is an interview with Sophie and you can see some art from her book too.
"We can also look forward to everyday things that will buoy our spirits and make us laugh and help us feel alive and that will bring others comfort and hope. I hope this list will give you some Things to Look Forward To." AND "Making this book felt a bit like building a life raft—a raft composed of wildflowers and songs, new words and old dogs, writing letters and falling in love,” Sophie says. “I felt sure, though, that by the time this book was published, the storm would have receded, and this collection of reminders to look for beauty and savour small pleasures, to find awe in the natural world and joy in our fellow human beings would feel less like a life raft and more like a cheerful tugboat. But here we are. There will always be storms of one kind or another, but I will always be buoyed by books—hopeful, encompassing, life-saving books.” Sophie Blackall
One page that I also adored contained this image - you will need to read Things to Look Forward To - I am not going to tell you why this page is so special.
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