“Hail to the sun!”. The big hot orange rises as reliably as ever and casts a glow across the morning fields. Dew from grass and sheep mists the air. Sleepy daisies peep through their petals, yawn and stretch towards the day. Birds are busy in song, the sea breaks lazily onto the sandy beach and another lock-down day begins.
We’re into the fourth week. Easter weekend passed with the Archbishop of Canterbury leading a virtual Easter service from his kitchen, the Queen spoke again to the nation (I think she did; I missed it), family gatherings were on Zoom and the beauty spots were deserted. 99 year old Captain Tom Moore began his fundraising marathon walk of 100 laps of his garden and now it’s Thursday, the day when our government (poor sods) are to announce an exit strategy. We’re all waiting with baited breath to know how we’ll get out of this situation. Will children be going back to school soon? Probably not. Will everyone go back to work? Some will, perhaps - it depends. Will the 70+ and other vulnerable individuals have to continue their isolation? Yes, for sure but it might be longer than 12 weeks. Will the shops open again? Will/when the economy bounce back? Will life get back to normal? Do we want it to get back to normal?
So many questions and so few answers.
There is no doubt that this event is transformative, and that’s not really a big enough word to describe it. In my ‘Sorry Mum’ post I likened this ‘grounding’ to children being made to think about their misdemeanours. Most are taking it on the chin and amusing themselves within the confines of whatever home they are locked down in. Creativity and imagination has time to flourish. We have time to confront the question of what is really important to us and many are finding that we had enslaved ourselves to consumption, that we don’t actually need so much of what we’d been persuaded to need. We are finding ourselves and looking to each other. We may be physically distanced but we are reaching out with our virtual arms wide open.
There is real suffering too, though, and I am struggling to reconcile that with my own, very fortunate comfortable situation. I can’t do much except donate to fundraisers, sew some masks and clap the frontline every Thursday evening. While Captain Moore’s fundraiser has today reached over 13 million pounds and inspired people the world over, I am complying with the directive to ‘Stay home, protect the NHS and save lives’. Home for both of us here is a lovely place and this time of reflecting has brought me to the belief that I must cherish the good and the wonderful in humanity, nurture my spirit, celebrate the gift of life, and live each day that I am lucky enough to wake into, with Awe.
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