Staying Home

Every morning for roughly the last three weeks I have watched a pair of Geese with their two babies on the flooded field at the back of our house. It's usually early and I'm with my dogs, so I don't get too close. They are aware that I am there and they move their two babies further away onto the water. I looked them up and I think they are a pair of Egyptian geese. Each day the babies are getting bigger and stronger as the water disappears now that the weather is thankfully dry. I'm not sure I have ever looked for something so eagerly every morning as I have these two Geese, ever. I think that most days I have taken for granted that the wildlife around me is there, that the sun can be warm in March, and that day to day life will continue at it's usual fast past, unless I choose to slow it down. Our lives have change so much in the last few weeks. We are not used to distancing ourselves from the family we love, friends we see regularly, people we see every day when we go to work, shopping or travelling. We book a table at a restaurant whenever we fancy a meal out, we look forward to a great film at the cinema, or a concert, and we love booking holidays so we can get away from it all and relax. Like every family, we find ourselves isolated from the things that we have taken for granted. Our two boys are doing ok, not sure they miss school exactly, but they do miss their friends and their freedom. Rightly or wrongly we are not home schooling, they are doing the work they need to do from school, but they have had time out too. We've been laying a whole load of new fencing at home which they have helped us with, and secretly enjoyed I think. My Daughter and her husband are busy on their farm, for them their hard work has continued as normally as possible. But I do miss seeing them all very much. I'm not seeing my parents, I can speak to my mum over the phone and write to her. But my Dad I can't as his dementia is too bad. I have to trust that the carers are looking after him as well as they usually do. Work behind the scenes is continuing. I have projects for clients which are still going on. My shop is obviously close to the public but I am using it as my workroom and I am isolated there. Social media has proven to be a great link between us all. I don't remember a time when, within my friendship groups, we have communicated every day. It tends to be when we are looking forward to a planned get together or after, when we are laughing about things that happened during that time. Reading about the acts of kindness as complete strangers have offered people help when they are alone and staying home. It seems ages ago that I held my all day tea party at my shop raising money for DementiaUK. We raised £200.00 that day. People stayed and chatted for ages, it was really great fun, and everyone was very generous. I am hugely grateful for that. We will really look forward to the days ahead when we can get back to some sort of normality. Hug and kiss our families and friends and make plans to get together. But for now most of us are staying home. And for me home is a good place to be. Lots of love and virtual hugs, Penny. xx