Feest Isolation Days – 10 April 2020
Good News! The Prime Minister is out of intensive care. He has clearly turned a corner and wouldn’t it be nice if that meant everyone else had, too? If this were a novel that would be symbolic of good things. As this is life and not a novel, I suspect it means that we are still in for a long haul.
Let’s hope that even though the weather is glorious people continue to Stay Home, Protect the NHS and Save Lives. That has been the government mantra for the entirety of this lockdown. Now that there are, what Professor Powys one of the government Chief Advisors describes as green shoots, people need to adhere to that simple yet demanding request, or as Matt Hancock the Health Minister put it, that instruction.
We had breakfast and dinner outside in the garden yesterday for the first time this year. That was special. It looks like it might be repeated again today as the weather remains warm and the skies blue. Teasing us all and making us wish we could break free and run into the world. But we can’t. So stay put.
My mother used to use that expression, just stay put! I wasn’t ever good at listening to that instruction on any level and do wonder how I am managing to do just that now. Several friends are finding this all really tough, and they have asked me how I stay so positive. It’s made me think about why that might be. There are plenty of reasons for that I suppose, but there are a few that seem to work together and help when I begin to wobble. I’ve been through tough times in the past and come out the other side. Eleven years ago, (that time has just gone poof!) I was forced to stay in this glorious house because of a couple of medical reasons. The first, having both feet operated on at the same time for what I always called Grandmother’s Feet, kept me benched. Then just after I was moving again, my fractured spine meant another bout of being confined. I was talking about this to Terry and said staying here like this was something I had to do before so perhaps I got used to it, except this time I’m not in pain. Having a husband who loves and adores you and is always by your side does help. Also, not only am I an optimist but as I’ve got older I’ve become a realist. The glass is always but always half full, and mine feels like it’s overflowing. Most of us have huge glasses filled to the brim and even then we have times when we can’t quite figure all this out and it gets on top of us. That is to be expected. These are extraordinary times. You are all my friends and just to be clear, you are all extraordinary people. You are HERE and you have this gift of time. Some of my dear friends have gone this year, and that makes me cry. I miss them. Dig deep, use this time to reset your internal compass if you need to and keep going. This isn’t the end, it’s just a respite from the bombardment of life for a bit. And if it feels grim today well, drink some champagne! Churchill said that he could not live without champagne, in victory he deserved it and in defeat he needed it. I say drank champagne, it’s Friday, I intend to drink…wine. Saving the Champagne for our Easter Celebration on Sunday – I told you I’m a realist.
With Love,
Kathy x
Breakfast…….
