This article (written end of last year) is thoughtful and doesn't skip the difficult questions. It asks the question - what have we lost and what will we change as we move forward and as the world gets vaccines.
The last year for me has been about different types of loss. Mum & Dad declining rapidly due to lockdown. Me grieving my youth and fertility - now stuck in middle of peri-menopause - trying to be active, trying to lose weight, but battling with stress, backache. Members of my team leaving. Being stuck at home in a very small flat. Spending 24 hours a day in the same room. Feeling old and grumpy and sad.
But lockdown has had a positive side. I've found a yoga routine for the morning. We've spent more time with the boys and have loved seeing their creativity and sense of play develop. We baked and cooked more together. We get out and walk a lot, even if it's only 20 mins down the river and back. I'm closer to my siblings, due to regular weekly zoom calls about our parents, but we've had lots of important conversations about how we're feeling. My team expanded and have coped well with WFH.
And if I look at my daily snapshots for 2020 and 2021, they remind me that we have a choice. We can celebrate the small wins and be grateful for the fact that we are healthy, that we have our jobs and our flat.
My daily snapshots since 2005 help me to record and remember these small and big things and they are huge source of inspiration and comfort to me....