Life Awakens

So summer has burst upon us like a hot flush, all reddy cheeks pinched by great aunts too old to halt. We are basking in the warmth, here in the surrey suburbs. Birds are chirping, calling to us, telling us the news, our nine months of long lockdown are at an end. The world is awakening.

The traffic surely is, and yet even that cannot dent the general enthusiasm all about. Shops are open, you can book a restaurant, you can travel at least within the country. In the last couple of weeks I have been like a new born babe. Learning stuff as though all my past was but a dream. Pleased to say we’ve taken the lessons of lockdown life to heart.

Family is the heart of life. Local community is OUR community. So we booked a restaurant for the first time in more than a year. We chose our local favourite. Eating out, not as in take out, actual sitting in a restaurant eating out. It was great. Though they didn’t have a cake for birthday celebrations. Or tonic water. Or cheesecake. We are all finding our feet. What’s important is we are finding our feet together.

Summer has come, so to the plant store on the corner we go and buy lavender and bushes and standing things. Digging. Lavender required digging a new border. Did I mention summer has burst upon us, that hot sticky, don’t want to be doing digging kind of arrival. Still, lavender is establishing well and looking mighty fine and we gave to our local community.

We went to a birthday party, a cousins set on the grassy square between the flats where they live. It was sunny, there were chairs, there were people to talk to, and there was a great big Frozen themed bouncy castle for the all the kids. It was all shiny and new, seeing all these people. It’s been like more than a year. Did I mention that? Anyway the kids took the theme to heart and bounced to their hearts content despite the heat. It was great.

Everything outside the house is great. We’ve all seen too much of the inside of our houses this last year. It’s like life has gone on pause, for us all. The only sign that time has passed is how all the kids have grown, babes now toddlers, toddlers young uns, young uns children, children teens and teens reminding us they are young adults now. It’s a thing apparently, being a young adult.

Covid be gone I would cry if I could muster the energy. We are so over it. Lockdown fatigue in full effect.

I have stepped onto a train a few times in the last couple of weeks. It still seems surreal. Like a masque ball when you’ve arrived too early. The usually packed cars where standing folk dance on polls to the rhythmic sway of the thumpedy thump thumpedy thump are empty. A few other early birds are there about sitting quietly upon seats, eyes glancing above the masques. I can’t say I mind it. It just feels surreal.

The gym is open. Hurrah! My mind says though my heart is not yet committed. I persevere. Lock down has not been kind on my body. The gym has always been the bedrock of my wellbeing. I know it’s loss has been detrimental in many ways. So I push through the pain, of going, of working out, of recovering. Sore I am, in places I haven’t been sore for literally decades.

Swimming is by booking only. Great I had thought, but when I booked someone still joined my lane and made me swim past them up and down and up and down. Considering we’re all wearing masks when wondering about the dry areas and even the treadmills are spaced out with large not in use signs preventing access to every other one this omission on swimming lane etiquette. Fortunately I am fully jabbed, double vaccinated, all done for now.

So the journey of life continues.