A happiness filled blog

This week’s blog was inspired by a simple voice message sent to J from our youngest daughter last week. She had started her message by saying she had ‘just experienced true happiness’ – listening to her message, happiness seemed to stem, in part from her taking delivery of one of those whole-body electric blankets with sleeves. It takes all sorts but if being snuggled down in a warm top to toe wearable electric blanket makes her happy who am I to comment. It did make me think about all those things that bring me happiness too.

For example, I had been really happy with the rather mixed weather we have been enjoying; as has our garden. Then suddenly, we are at the start of October. There was me making the most of the September sunshine and suddenly, we are in October with its shorter days and colder mornings. However, I’m not complaining. Both J and I won on our Premium Bonds this month. As she has just had a massive clear out of her wardrobe’s (yes you read that right more than one wardrobe) she was very pleased to have received her windfall. I’m happy because J is happy. The local charity shop was also happy to receive a van load of her clothes.

I bought another guitar with my prize money – a custom built 3 stringed cigar box guitar, which is ideal for playing slide guitar blues. Billy the parrot is happy as he loves whistling the blues.

More importantly the early days of October also brought and opportunity to have both my flu and covid jabs yesterday. It is always a relief to get them done early. Wearing my public health and health promotion hat, I would urge every reader of this blog and their families to get the jabs done too. The new Covid variant is much more like an intense flu and is laying folk low very quickly. This new variant typically results in a high temperature, a persistent cough, an aching body and a constant headache. If you get it, I guarantee you not going to be feeling very happy.

Thankfully, whilst giving rise to horrible symptoms, this variant is not so deadly as some of the previous one. That said, in the week ending 21^st September 2024 there were a total of 9421 deaths registered across England. This was a ‘quiet’ week for deaths, with there being some 1500 less than was expected.  However, of the 9421 deaths, 1450 were the result of influenza (flu) or pneumonia, and 235 were a result of Covid 19.  So, if you are eligible, get your free jab or if not eligible for a free jab, think about the cost of paying for it as being an investment in your future happiness and wellbeing.

Tuesday gave me the opportunity to both briefly look backwards but more importantly to look at our future as an NHS Trust. It was our NHS Trust Annual Members Meeting and my first one since taking up the Chair role. I love these kinds of events. I’m never happier than when I’m on a stage, and I have been fortunate to have enjoyed performing on many stages in my time. Last week was no exception and the meeting was a fabulous one.

We did the serious stuff of course. We have to. Whilst the AMM is a formal meeting in some respects it is also a great opportunity to share with our members (folk from across our various communities) what we have done, its impact and the difference made. It is also a chance to share where we are heading on our improvement journey. Two of our clinical services gave presentations that illustrated all these features. I was more than happy with how the afternoon went. Feedback from other attendees, tells me many of the people who attended were happy too.    

On the Wednesday I made a presentation to thank our out-going Chief Nurse for her contribution to the Trust and the wider NHS. I think she was both a little sad at retiring, but happy too in terms of what opportunities retirement might bring. I was surprised, and very happy to bump into someone I hadn’t seen for many a year at the event, a chap called Malcom Rae. Many nurse readers of this blog might know the name, if not the person. When I first joined the Trust in 1984, he was the Chief Nurse. We didn’t always see eye to eye, but he generously helped me progress my career, and for that I will always be grateful. He provided a way of helping others that I’ve been happy to emulate every since. I hadn’t seen him since I left the Trust in 1998. Meeting him once more last week gave rise to my own ‘experience of true happiness’.