Hold to the gratitude, hold to the love

I took myself out today although soon I am sure that is going to be difficult to do.. I wasn’t going to sacrifice my morning coffee and I went to the bookshop to buy a few books to tide me over when the lock down becomes more intense, as it seems to be the way things are going.. Here in Australia we are being told not to travel far from where we live and interstate travel to Queensland from New South Wales is being banned.

I listened at length last night to the medical ‘experts’ on our ABC programme Q and A where they addressed video questions from people, asking questions like is it okay to go and see my grandmother, the short answer was no and my sister informed me yesterday she is not going to be allowed to see her son’s three little ones, because as a woman over 60 she is considered in the high risk category.. I know how much my sister has allowed herself to come alive and made so much effort to be reconnecting with old contacts that I hope these new restriction don’t hit her too hard, for me I have my dog and blog and books, not that my sister won’t find things to do but as her sister I do worry… My brother also arrived back in the country this morning from America and will be in a two week isolation …. I haven’t called him yet, although late last night as I was cleaning my teeth I heard my mother who has passed whispering in my ear.. “make sure you give him a call.” That said he often fobs off connection but I hope he doesn’t end up feeling too isolated, I know he, as an introvert, will find the isolation easy….

I wonder how others around the world are faring today.. Please feel free to tell me in the comments section.. Its an important time to be in touch and also an important time to remember how precious the dayliness of ordinary life is, someone made a comment in reply to one I posted on their blog saying that one of the things they thought would come out of recent pain and restrictions will be a greater valuing of many of those things we took for granted before Corona Virus hit us…and a perhaps more awareness of how important those interconnections are.. At times like this we need to think of our fellow man and realise that we must be responsible in not placing the vulnerable under any kind of threat.. For myself I feel relatively safe and calm at the moment… I find when disaster thinking begins to start up I am getting quicker at nipping it in the bud.. Keeping active but also finding time to relax is helping me…As is the awareness of how grateful I am to be wanting to be in the world and fully alive.. I will find time to be alive even with the social distancing.. I shared a big smile with a stranger earlier today in the shopping centre… little gifts of brightness like this mean the world to me on the days I may not physically engage with another human being…. its challenging times and so, so tough for those losing loved ones, or their jobs, these are the people in my prayers at the moment.. Stay strong everyone….