On choosing to look on the bright side of lockdown

‪At the end of 14 days of self isolation, as we reach breaking point here at home and we all bite each other’s heads off for the smallest of annoyances let alone proper misdemeanours, I choose to remind myself of how blessed we are. Yes I’m an introvert, largely used to deciding how and where I carve up my time between work and leisure. Suddenly living in a full and noisy house with no time or space to myself. Yes we are unused to being in each other’s company 24/7. Yes the children are missing their friends and their usual daily structure, yes they have wildly different abilities, needs, temperaments and interests. Yes lockdown is very difficult and there’s much more besides BUT...

I know too that we have much more to be grateful for.

We can cobble a meal together with whatever we have (despite protestations from aforementioned children and who knows what we’ll have on Easter Day). So far, those of us who’ve, probably, had covid19 have pulled through and the rest of the extended family seems well and healthy. 3 out of the 4 of us are able to exercise outside once a day. We are not having to hide from the enemy like our predecessors were 80 odd years ago. We have activities a plenty as well as technology to keep us in touch and occupied. We have some space where we can each retreat to should we need to and are fortunate to have a garden. It’s spring, there is beauty outside to be appreciated, it’s warm and we can get some vitamin D on our faces. It’s not freezing cold in the middle of winter with icy pavements, frozen pipes and broken boilers. There’s more though.

We have each other. In all our natural glory, with all our imperfections and limitations. And whilst these may feel magnified, and on occasions even suffocating in the current conditions, we have the time and space to get to know one another even better, build each other up, learn from each other, “repair” when we’ve got it wrong, practice repentance and forgiveness, engage, relate, have fun, laugh and cry. In a world where isolation and loneliness is rife, we must never take each other for granted.

So yes my mental health might be taking a bit of a hit right now in different ways and to varying degrees but today, now, I choose to be grateful. I choose to look up and out. I choose to look to Him who made me and watches over me. He who knows everything about me. He who knows me even better than I know myself. He who strengthens me and pours out His love and grace upon me.

I do, however, recognise that I couldn’t do very much of that 3 days ago. The black cloud was too thick and too heavy, weighing me down like a blanket crafted from bricks. But I knew it would pass. And it has.

Just enough for me to be able to exert my will & choose to look at this in the most positive way I can‬. It WILL be ok.

And the cloud will lift for you too x