We went down to the water in the early evening and while the big kids swam I sat Percy down and watched his toes curl and fists clench. He ate a fair bit of sand, his face grimacing with the grit, but he wasn’t bothered. I sat beside him and took it all in – his fingers grabbing, his little shudders when the sand met his mouth, the way he would look towards the sea occasionally; mesmerised by the blue. It’s all new for him and his delight is palpable.

There have been many, many days of late where I’ve been far too caught up in the work of the day-to-day and the worry that accompanies adulthood and responsibility and finances. And yet regardless of the many things that demand my attention, it’s moments like these, in the sand, that ground me with the upmost force and reaffirm that it is in fact the little things, the simple things, that matter.

I sat there next to my little sand-eater and with him, I found stillness and quiet and calm. We watched the others frolic and dive and splash in the still-cold ocean and there we stayed for a good while. Happy.

I easily forget and too often dismiss the importance of getting out of my head and connecting to my body and my heart. It’s time to feel the earth underfoot and recognise the small blessings that abound – on a daily basis.

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly” – The Little Prince.