This morning it was “Mum’s muffin morning” at my daughter’s school.  As a mother, ask me to do a puzzle, no problem, hide-and-seek, okay, but bake… well, the involvement of anything that includes eggs, sugar and in particular, flour, turns my blood stone cold.  However, I am a mother, and as such, I have responsibilities, which every now and then include looking very enthusiastic about muffins.

The hour passed fairly quickly, and I survived it without looking at my watch once (this was hard for me, but I managed).  My daughter was delighted I was there, and that made me feel that today, I have done something good in the world.

But it got me to thinking about being needed.  I started work this week, and I am loving it.  You never appreciate how wonderful work is until you don’t have it and you would like it.  On both the motherhood front, and the work front, this week, I was needed and wanted.  For the first time in approximately 289 days, I have used my brain avidly on the work front; and for the first time in thirty nine and a half years, I used my creativity to make muffins.  I have to say, work is much easier for me than baking.  There are many people who I fear may attest to this.

I have come to the conclusion that not feeling needed is actually catastrophic to humans.  What is the point of getting up in the morning if no-one needs you or notices you are not there?  This is what leads to depression, binge eating or drinking (no comment), and too many hours of watching The Bold and the Beautiful and wishing you were Brook, with or without Ridge.

So this week, I have been so needed – on the work front, I think I have made a difference to someone, and that fills me with glee, and on the personal front, I know that this morning made a difference to my one and only child, and isn’t that a fabulous thing?

I feel that by starting in small ways – a part-time job and a muffin morning – you can build things up and be needed by others.  Being needed motivates one (me for sure) to be needed by more people, to widen one’s circle, to increase how much you give out, and to wake up every single morning knowing that there are many individuals out there waiting for you, needing you, and appreciating whatever it is you are able to give them that day – whether it is time, brain power, or simply, your presence in their lives.

Happy Friday everyone.  Enjoy every nano-second.