Among all the oddities and turmoils, something that will always brighten my day is sight or sound of friends having moments of success. There’s something about hearing unalloyed joy in someone’s voice when they talk about a new job despite its demands, or seeing the sparkle in someone’s eye when they talk about a new discovery that just can’t be equalled.

Best of all is hearing someone who is recovering from injury or illness. It doesn’t matter if it’s an improvement in the process of healing from physical injury, or just someone having a good day in their fight against a chronic condition.

All these moments of brightness are worth cherishing, especially when in contrast to whatever else is or has been happening in their or my lives. Recognising and celebrating these bright moments is important, both for them and for me. It reminds us all that there actually is brightness.