Pandemic Journal – June 12 – Their Future

I have two little granddaughters, one coming up to 3 and the other recently celebrated her 1st birthday.

The restrictions imposed by the pandemic are affecting them both and sometimes, this situation makes me worry for their future. It is not just the changes in the financial stability of the world nor the changes in our high streets that will impact on them.

It’s the lack of human contact and what that will mean for humanity. Children learn through shared experiences and touch. They naturally want to respond to other children and it breaks my heart to watch my granddaughter try to reach out to another child and then pull back in fear.

How will they learn to share? How will they shed this early learning experience and learn trust in their fellow humans?

I question whether the impact on social behaviour will be worth the isolation of children from their peers to protect older people from the disease. And yet, I am a nurse by background and appreciate the difficulties my former colleagues are facing on a daily basis as they care for Covid-19 patients.

No doubt, history will show whether Lockdown for the children has been the most sensible option for the humanity of the future.

 

The Diary of 2020

When all of this virus mayhem began, I was sick with a virus (maybe the virus but here in the UK we don’t have testing) and couldn’t contemplate writing any kind of journal to record the events that changed our world during March 2020. It is time to put some of my thoughts down so that I can look back in years to come and recall the good things as well as the bad.

Humour has helped me cope. When I worked in the health service, we nurses and midwives often relied on humour to de-stress. The fantastic Pam Ayres has written a great poem about being one of the oldies during the virus and I thank her for making me laugh during a time when so much media focus is on the sadness of our times.  Take time to look it up – it’s worth it.

Other things that have made me chuckle are the cartoons and photos of out of control hair, Barbie growing plump in Lockdown, precious children questioning their parents about things, reworking of songs replaced with virus thoughts, Victoria Wood exercise routine on YouTube and my granddaughter putting her face next to the screen when speaking on skype so that I am looking up her nose.

Has anything made you smile or touched your heart?

Invisible Footsteps

 

 

I am lucky to live close to a beach so my daily exercise reminds me of the earth’s beauty. While I walk near the waves, I picture the many who have walked and played here before the virus changed lives. It will fill my heart with joy to watch families playing on the sand once again.