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In the midst of such terrible news recently, it shouldn’t matter terribly that Henry Blofeld, the much-loved voice of cricket for nearly 50 years on Test Match Special, has just announced his retirement. His own response would most likely come in the form of his familiar catch-phrase: “My dear old thing...” But I think it’s worth noting this gently passing moment in broadcasting. After all, his radio voice has mattered to so many of us, whether we love cricket or not; it’s like settling into the company of a favourite great uncle who takes as much infectious delight in pointing out the passing buses, pigeons and butterflies, as he does the intricacies of an absorbing game. As the former England captain Michael Vaughan tweeted, “I can’t think of anyone who has brought more joy to the airwaves.” And with joy in such short supply right now, people like Blowers are surely to be appreciated - as is the nature of the space they open up within our culture, and our hearts. It’s a bit like diving into a few pages of PG Wodehouse and coming back up with a smile. The space which opens may seem trivial, a guilty pleasure, even - I wonder how many of us have secretly tuned into the cricket on a summer’s day when we should be working? - yet the seemingly trivial has its place - and it doesn’t have to imply mere escapism, either. Summer in particular offers spiritual opportunity to savour the simpler pleasures. I love, for example, how Walt Whitman conjures up a scene of tranquillity when he talks about inviting his soul “to loaf” as he simply observes a “spear of summer grass.” The poet Mary Oliver writes of learning from summer how to be “idle and blessed”. These writers give us permission to “cease striving”, as the psalmist says, which - from my own experience of guiding retreats - is what so many of us need. Permission, that is - because we seldom grant it to ourselves or each other. But what if we did? What if, like a joyous Henry Blofeld, we created more space in which to bless and be blessed? If we need further encouragement, it’s all good for the mind - neuroscience tells us that getting absorbed in one, relaxing diversion for a period of time - whether it’s pottering in the garden, playing Lego with grand-kids or indeed listening to Test Match Special with a glass of something chilled in hand - can bring deep rest to tired brains, as well as to weary souls. As the writer Anne Lamott puts it, “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes - including you.” My dear old thing.