Sometimes the Best Moments Are the Ones We Almost Miss

Written from my home office with Lola curled up across my feet (probably recovering from her latest very important investigations), as I’ve been looking back through photos from our walks and thinking about the little moments we nearly miss when life gets busy.

Because sometimes the biggest reminders about connection, curiosity and play don't come from big plans.

Sometimes they come from a tiny door in a tree…

At the All Is Well Approach, we talk a lot about the importance of connection, curiosity and creating spaces where children feel safe to explore, express themselves and simply be.

Sometimes the best reminders of these things come from the most unexpected places.

Sometimes, they come from a ginger Cocker Spaniel with an 80s fringe who decides the walk cannot continue until further investigation has taken place. Sometimes the best moments are the ones we almost miss. Usually because we’re walking with purpose, pretending we’re Very Busy Adults.

A walk can just be a walk. A tree can just be a tree. A path can just be a path.

But sometimes, if we slow down enough (or if a stubborn dog decides to apply the brakes), something catches our attention and turns an ordinary moment into a memory.

Lola’s Croxteth Park adventuring

During our adventure at Croxteth Park last weekend, Lola discovered something I would have absolutely whizzed past at 1.5x speed.

A small door in the trunk of a tree. To most people, it was probably just another tree in a park full of trees.

Nothing dramatic.

Nothing demanding attention.

Nothing with a neon sign saying:

“HELLO, HUMAN, COME INVESTIGATE.”

But Lola? Lola is not most people. Lola is a one dog neighbourhood watch committee. She stopped.

She made me stop.

She stared at the tree like it owed her money.

So we paused.

And suddenly I found myself wondering who, or what, might live behind that tiny door.

A woodland creature? A fairy?

A very small landlord charging extortionate rent?

Naturally, I knocked on the door and stood there, waiting with great amusement and a slightly unrealistic amount of hope, wondering if a furry woodland friend might open the door and invite us in for a cup of tea.

They didn’t appear…this time.

(Although Lola remains convinced they were watching from inside. She has her sources.)

But something else happened. It became a moment.

The moments we nearly miss

A moment of curiosity. A moment of imagination. A moment of connection.

The kind of moment that stays with you long after the walk is over.

It reminded me how easily these moments can slip past when we are rushing from one thing to the next.

Lola wasn’t trying to teach me anything. She was simply being Lola:

Exploring. Sniffing. Noticing. Taking her time.

And maybe there is something we can learn from that. Children are naturally curious. They notice the details adults often overlook. They find stories in ordinary things. A cardboard box becomes a castle. A stick becomes a wand. A tiny door in a tree becomes the entrance to a whole imaginary world. Play, curiosity and connection often begin in these small moments. Sometimes we just need to slow down enough to notice them.

Finding joy in the everyday

Our adventure wasn’t just about finding a fairy door. It was about noticing all the little moments along the way. The sunshine in a field of yellow flowers. The horses grazing in the distance. The sound of trees moving in the breeze. A tiny door hidden in an old tree that may or may not be the entrance to a fairy Airbnb.

These small moments of connection, curiosity and just good fun matter.

And perhaps they matter even more because they are so easy to miss when you let life feel busy.

So, as Lola continues her summer adventures across the North West, we’re going to keep looking for those little moments that make us smile…and the ones that make Lola investigate suspicious woodland activity. Because sometimes the most meaningful moments aren’t the big ones. Sometimes they’re the unexpected pauses.

The moments where we slow down.

The moments where we connect.

The moments where we notice what was there all along.

Where should Lola explore next?

We’d love your doggo friendly walkies recommendations. 🐾

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