It finally got cold and dark in my neighbourhood last week. While that’s just how I like it, I know not to alienate summer people by celebrating: screw crunchy leaves, soup, cosy sweaters, got it. I do, actually, sort of get it: fat bear week is over, decay is in the air, we’re dreading what El Niño might do, and somewhere, some content creator is plotting to ruin sofa season with an awful new self-optimisation concept (“Forget the winter arc, lock in for the Shackleton shred: a single rusk and 14-hour sled-pull daily for three months!”).
It’s time to find some “glimmers”, which is what we’re calling little fragments of cheer now. “Micro moments of happiness that can flip the script on your day” have gone “pretty mainstream”, Grazia magazine said last month, but if you missed the memo, me too. I was busy spiralling into heatwave-fuelled existential dread when trend forecasters explored the glimmer concept this spring – it’s been a low-glimmer time for me.
Grazia’s glimmers included a perfume actually called Glimmer and gel masks that make you look like a ghoul, but for anyone sinking deep into seasonal affective disorder, sheet masks won’t cut it. So I set myself the challenge of suggesting five glimmers I hope are (almost) universally cheering.
First, unearthing pictures of Lenny Kravitz’s massive scarf. The man wears a full flock of sheep round his neck in winter like it’s nothing – how delightful.
Second, who could fail to be thrilled by bluefin tuna returning to UK waters? They can weigh as much as a grand piano – imagine thousands of scaly Steinways hanging out around Whitby!
Third, the light is often exquisite in autumn, and when the sun shines, it feels like a blessing, not a roasting death ray.
Fourth, they found a dinky new wild cat in Bolivia and, pleasingly, it looks as disgusted with humanity as every other cat – you can perfectly imagine it yowling imperiously for treats and rebuffing caresses.
And finally, the supermarkets’ horrible Christmas crisp flavours will drop soon and we can unite as a nation in hating them together.
It’s not much, but glimmer-wise, it’s all I’ve got.
• Emma Beddington is a Guardian columnist
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