I was in Tesco with my toddler, getting bits for our dinner later that day, when suddenly the store fell silent. A two-minute slot to remember those who had gone before, those who had fallen, those who had given everything.

The bleeps of the checkouts ceased. The music paused. Footsteps stood still. The rustle of carrier bags no more. Just stillness.
My toddler looked at me, also silent. I smiled.

I thought to myself: they gave their lives so I could be here now, in this freedom, shopping in Tesco with my toddler, choosing my food. A wave of gratitude came over me. A mundane moment became the most important thing.

As I left Tesco that morning, the world slowly came back to life, the beeps, the chatter, the everyday noise. But inside, something stayed still. A reminder that freedom isn’t loud; it’s lived quietly, every single day.

Sometimes the mundane things are the things we take for granted: filling the car with petrol, thankful I have a car to get my family around safely; getting clean washing out of the machine, thankful I have clean clothes to wear; loading the dishwasher for the third time that day, thankful my family have food to eat.

Gratitude doesn’t need grand gestures, just perspective. So today, on the school run, in the shopping queue, or at the kitchen sink, take a breath and remember: even the smallest moments are a gift of freedom.

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