I'm going to keep smiling. I'm going to stay focused and positive for my family. The pandemic that is the Coronavirus is here and is going to stay for several months. If being a parent wasn't hard enough, things just got ten times more challenging! These are days and events we are likely not to see again in our lifetime and they are unprecedented. The challenges just keep coming in - worry about risk of infection and I am now very vulnerable, worry about Amy, the kids and Joan, real economic struggle, loss of income and keeping a roof over all our heads in the coming months. The madness and chaos with getting food and supplies, the real lack of community and attitude in some people is astonishing and the coming days, weeks and months are going to be tough. I can't help but see the positive's out of all of this - life is going to slow down, we will all get some well earned rest, all be it in the background of real worry and stress. I hope this will change family life a bit as we are all forced to spend some more time with each other, rather than the treadmill of life we've been on for years. This is the type of situation where I come into my own. This is what I'm good at and guiding people out of crisis. The responsibility I feel as a father and a husband is my greatest belief. This is my time to shine and excel. Whatever the challenges that come in the coming months we face as a family, I am determined to make sure I fulfil my commitment to my girls in keeping them as safe and as stress free as possible. It is my duty based and drawn from my love of my family, the easiest decision I will ever make. The hard decisions are already coming in - taking the girls out of school today, cancelling our holiday so we can use the money to survive, banning cuddles and affection. More will come and we will get through this as a family. I can't help thinking as each day goes by what Auntie Joan would have made of all of this. I think her community spirit, which was second to none, would have kicked in and the help she would have given others would have been amazing. It was what she did all her life. I will channel her spirit and tenacity. Let's take it one day at a time and come out better people, changing society and how we help each other. I think this few months will change us all, including me and my family...
So the country has gone into lockdown five days ago. We are now only allowed to leave our houses for very specific reasons to go food shopping, collect meds, exercise once a day and then go to work for only essential jobs. Anybody going out must practice 'social distancing' which is two metres apart from each other and no social contact or physical interaction with each other at all. When 2020 arrived I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would be writing something like this today. We are coping fairly well with this as a family and I am proud of the girls in regards to their response. This is really not easy for them to understand and in essence completely interrupts their childhood. We could be doing this for months and months yet. We are all trying to keep busy with the girls doing allocated school work, Amy cooking us wonderful and lovely meals, I am working from home and bringing in what money I can and just taking it day by day. I'm scared out of my wits in visiting a care home and what I could bring back into the house, but my help is needed. There is a breather and some space in the size of our house, the garden and a daily dog walk (poor Meg is exhausted every evening and fast asleep!!). We are so truly lucky and blessed. Norfolk has been showing us its real beauty this week, like Mother Nature knows nothing about what is going on. Sheer beauty in the madness. New decisions and difficult decisions come every day. Its like someone threw away the parental and life manual without leaving further instructions! It is at times very frightening fighting an invisible threat and I worry about Amy, Joan and the girls every day. We have to keep following advice, doing the right things and keep going with a positive attitude and nature. I am loving that life has slowed down a bit though if I am honest. My morning coffee under the shack to reflect in peace and quiet is very important to me. Some good things do come out of a pandemic!! Need to work on the fact that Anna is currently tonking me in the daily cross bar and other challenges we have going on. Opening up a 7-3 lead. I'm just luring you into a false sense of security Wiggle x
