Small Moments
Welcome to The Back Verandah.
Yesterday, something small and extraordinary happened.
My 30-year-old daughter has recently begun a caravanning journey around Australia with her two-year-old son. It is not simply a holiday. It is part of her slow, brave recovery after the tragic death of her fiancé — a way to move through grief, to reset and begin again.
Yesterday, in a regional town in NSW, she stopped at a service station to refuel. The first two stations were difficult to navigate with the caravan, so she moved on to a third.
When she went to pay, the attendant couldn’t find her bill.
A man standing beside her quietly paid for her fuel.
By the time she turned to thank him, he had already left. No fuss. No conversation. No hidden agenda.
Just a simple, deliberate act of kindness.
In a world filled with loud headlines and bad news, this feels important to share.
Memoir is not only about the big events. It is about the small moments that reveal who we are, and the environment around us.
A stranger choosing generosity and kindness.
A young mother feeling seen.
A reminder that goodness still exists.
These are the stories worth keeping.
If we don’t write them down, they disappear.
With care,
Natalie Stockdale, The Memoir Writer
