Usually at this time of the year I'm feeling a bit quiet and missing the noise of the Summer holidays. The kids are back at school, shattered, and the morning rush to be ready is something all of us are pleased to have done with. This year it's different...
My kids are already doing school-at-home, and self-isolating, after a mere week back, which followed the longest holiday most people will ever get. Yet this year I wasn't so glad to send them back to school, It was accompanied by a lot of doubt, and a little worry. In fact, most parents in the UK felt nervous about sending their children in (we aren't alone). It's our job to worry, it goes against nature to turn it off.
Coronavirus is putting all of us into positions we didn't expect, and we may not enjoy. It's out of our control and for a lot of people, it just looks like more and more to come. It seems endless. It's disappointing, frustrating, upsetting even. It makes us scared for ourselves, scared for our families and friends... it makes us see what is actually important.
It's not going to be endless. No-one gets Spanish Flu these days, and we are 100 years of technology and science ahead of them. We will get there, and we are improving chances of survival and mild symptoms all the time. One day this will all be over, and you will be able to look back, and you will remember the good bits so much more than you realise:
- We are getting to know our families better than the generations before us ever dreamed they'd have the chance to.
- If you've been on furlough, you've just had an immense break. You've learned to bake and crotchet, You've cycled hundreds of miles, or started couch to 5k. You've had the time to be bored, and to think.
- If you've been working throughout, hopefully everyone else is giving you more respect. YOU are the people who make the world go around. The cleaners, bin emptiers, IT nerds, energy suppliers, delivery drivers, shop workers, farmers and food supply. Care workers. The NHS. All of those people who have worked for minimum wage, rotating shifts and weekends. All of you. Finally we know just how much we need you. Thank you. I really hope we never forget.
- You've learned what is in your local area, and who else likes going for a walk at twilight.
- You've done your garden, or the spare room, finally watched all of Breaking Bad, built a model, or completed that project that you've been too busy for before.
- You've realised just how much you care for people you can't be with.
You have all made smiles. Loads of them. It wasn't all bad, and these smiles remind us of that. They show we can do this thing. We had tons of new folk join in this month - hiya! Anyone is welcome, just tag any smiles you post on Instagram. They're contagious, one can turn into hundreds, or it could be the spark of joy someone needs to get through the next minute. You can find all of the smiles people have shared (and there are over 8,000 now!!) by checking out the hashtag #TBCSmiles.
Here are 9 of this month's beaming faces...
These were shared by the following Instagrammers:
We made our own smiles too, we had a new starter at high school, we've played a lot of games over the last month, and had a lot of fun, but I have been utterly rubbish at capturing any smiles on camera. They are all in my head though...
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I read every one and try my best to reply!