No Pup's Too Small

They say write what you know, but, this week, what I know is brain fog, a raspy cough that could sand timber, and the unique frustration of watching every hour crawl by during a night of fever, chills and wild temperature swings. I’ve been battling some uninvited flu-like lurgy for the better part of a week, and my body currently feels like it lost a wrestling match with a semi-trailer.

So it was oddly poetic when I woke up to a region shrouded in thick fog on Wednesday. The sky outside perfectly mirrored the state of my head: heavy, grey and not quite functional. Things only escalated from there. I opened my inbox and was met with a brutal wave of emails, all about the State Government’s budget. If President Trump had been available to negotiate a ceasefire for my inbox, I might have taken him up on the offer.

With motivation at an all-time low and clarity in short supply, I decided to outsource my editorial inspiration to someone who thinks far more clearly than I do: my two-year-old. When I asked what I should write about, he offered one confident answer: “Mighty Pups.” Now, while that might not sound like Pulitzer-winning advice, the theme of that animated gem is “no pup’s too small.” And surprisingly, that line hit harder than expected.

Because, in the middle of illness, deadlines and endless government media statements, it reminded me of something important: even when you’re not at your best, even when your energy is low and your inbox is full, small acts still matter. Your actions — however insignificant they may feel — can still create a ripple effect. Sometimes, just making someone smile is enough to shift their entire day. And that’s not nothing.

It’s a message that ties in beautifully with some of the stories in this week’s edition. You’ll read about the 10th annual M&P Services - Key Solutions Group Charity Golf Day on pages 20-23 — an event that’s aiming to raise over $350,000 for local causes. There’s Baltic Group’s Cocktails for a Cause, a night where glamour met generosity to support breast cancer research, you can see some social pics on page 27. Project Pink on page 4 is making a huge impact in the domestic violence space, while the new Held Project on page 10 is supporting new mothers navigating the toughest, most tender days of early parenthood.

These are reminders that there are people and organisations in our community who consistently show up — even when life’s busy or hard — to create change and lift others. They are proof that no act is too small. No pup is too small. And yes, even a foggy-headed editor can find meaning in a children’s cartoon if she’s desperate enough.

Keep showing up. Keep making people smile. Keep inspiring.

(And if anyone’s delivering soup, my door is open.)

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