I once asked someone how they were, and they replied that they were ‘life-ing’.
At the time, I wasn’t sure what that meant. Now, I think I do.
Life-ing, as it turns out, is the art of embracing the weekly challenges the universe casually throws at your head – sometimes quite literally.
Last Monday evening, my neighbour’s colossal tree came down. Not gracefully. Not politely. It arrived in my garden like a meteor, flattening my fence, destroying plants I’d nurtured, and leaving me with the sinking feeling that the universe was having a bit too much fun.
And this wasn’t even the first time – it’s the second tree in about six months.
After some determined detective work, I managed to track down the person who owns the land. Let’s just say he was… less than enthusiastic. Removing the tree? Not his problem. The two remaining syringa trees – invasives the height of a double-storey building – are looming over my property? Also, not really his concern. Life-ing, it seems, sometimes means navigating the maze of people who simply shrug and carry on.
But here’s the surprising twist: in the midst of chaos, I’ve met people who are genuinely human – people with heart. Neighbours, friends and even strangers who showed up with tools, advice, or simply kindness. The sort of people who remind you that community still exists.
And then came the unexpected magic. Over the past month, as actual trees have been falling around me, I stumbled upon not one, but two abandoned Christmas trees – fully decorated – left next to the trash on the kerb. There they were dumped, waiting to be collected, unloved and unwanted. But to me? They were treasures.
Both have now made their way into my office space, bringing sparkle, colour and a much-needed dose of festive joy. It’s funny how something discarded by one person can brighten someone else’s entire day – or in my case, my entire week.
Life-ing, I’ve realised, isn’t about everything going smoothly. It’s about finding the small joys among the splinters and sawdust. It’s about the people who show up when others don’t. It’s about seeing magic where someone else only sees rubbish. Somebody’s trash really is someone else’s treasure.
And sometimes, the treasures are exactly what you need to keep life-ing along.
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