A safe place...

As we continue to live in these strange times, all being it in a slightly reduced state of lockdown conditions, family life is not what it should be with each of us quietly getting on with keeping ourselves busy and simply getting through the day. We are all longing for normal life to return, but this is a long way off, probably months, with infections still in the country and in recent days on the rise again. Home has become a place we would want to escape from having lost many freedoms, and yet a real place of safety and calm. We are all leading slightly separate lives. Amy and I working and still going out. The girls schooling at home, messaging friends and almost in a weekend state every day. We do catch up at various intervals during the day, but this feels a bit fragmented. I am worried about the effect this is having on us all. I keep myself busy gardening, dog walking, a newly found love of nature and doing 'jobs'. For Amy and the girls they relax, watch television, gaming in Anna's case and watching crime documentaries for Lucy (a new interest which intrigues me as to what interests her within this emerging passion). This is not my cup of tea and never has been. I can't sit still and hours will go by when I do not interact with my family. I expect this to a certain degree with near or actual teenagers in the house, but I can see lockdown compounding this. Amy and I having to discuss challenges and issues such as when do we risk sending the kids back to school. There is no respite from the monotony and the worry. With the weather changing to wet and miserable this week. I would love for us to simply go out together for the day as a family and do something we love and go for a meal out together. It will come I know, but is some months off yet. In the meantime, home is a double edged sword and the safety side fills me with reassurance in keeping my girls safe. The longer this goes on though, the harder it will be to make a new normal and stop the insular family life that is emerging....