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Sometimes there are days when even a cold, grey day seems better than you expected because a few things finally seem to go your way. A day when you get two good surprises that make your grey day seem a little sunnier. There are no earth-shattering changes or lottery wins, just a nice message and an unexpected surprise. Today was one of those days. Not expected, but received.

Drama that turned out not to be a drama

It all started with a visit I had scheduled with my GP last week. A healthy dose of concern made me decide that it was time for my GP to look at my back. For years I have been extra vigilant about my moles. And that is not for nothing. You could say that my skin and I have a history. Three moles have been removed, one of which was well on its way to the danger zone. Since then I have known my body better than Google's search algorithms. After showering, I sometimes contort myself into poses that would make even yogis jealous, just to check if there is anything strange to see.

However, in the past few weeks, a mole on my back started to show rebellious behavior and caused me quite a bit of itching and even flaky bits that came off. During my inspections, I also found that it no longer looked at me as friendly as it had done before. Although I tried to convince myself that it was probably nothing, my little voice started whispering insistently, and so I decided to schedule a visit to my doctor last week. And that was this morning.

My doctor's verdict? Now you have to promise not to laugh too hard! But the verdict is Dry skin. Yes, you read that right. I did inspect all the moles on my skin every time but forgot the skin without moles. And now my back appears to have the hydration of a desert. Lol. So the mole is probably just feeling a bit uncomfortable because of the lack of moisture. “You should treat yourself a bit more with a body lotion,” the GP said with a look that was half reassuring, half amused. A diagnosis that I am very happy with! No scary news, just an excuse to treat myself (or have myself treated) to an extra luxurious body lotion.

^{Photo by me, taken with my phone}

The Thatched Roof Miracle

With a calm heart and a good mood, I arrived home. My eye immediately fell on something strange on the driveway of the neighbor. A crane truck with an arm pointing up to the roof. I decided that I would have to look at it later to see what it was, but first let Skipper outside! And while I was still wondering whether it might have something to do with the thatched roof that has been in urgent need of maintenance for years, it happened. Skipper heard something, looked up, and started barking like a madman! Where I didn’t even dare to think about maintenance for our roof since our landlord usually makes more promises than he keeps, this time I was completely wrong.

I looked at what Skipper was barking at and thought I would drop dead in surprise. There, on the roof, was a real, live thatcher. After years of complaining about our leaking thatched roof, the landlord had finally taken action. It was as if I had seen a unicorn, it felt so unreal.

Although it is not a complete renovation, the roof will at least be covered with a new layer of thatch. That means less draft, less leakage, and hopefully a house that no longer feels like an ice-cold warehouse in the winter. Is it a perfect solution? No, we don’t think so. In fact, we are sure it isn’t. But hey, I’ll take what I can get, anything that happens now is better than nothing happening again. So yes, I am happy!

The Little Happinesses of Life

It’s these little moments that make your day. Yes, I know dry skin and a roof repair may not sound like life-changing news, but they were exactly what I needed. No more worries about scary diagnoses. No more worries about leaks. Just peace and relief.

Sometimes you don’t have to think big to be thankful. Two good news in one day, I’ve had worse days. Maybe I should adopt that optimistic mindset more often. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?