Hallo dear readers how is everyone doing out there?
Hope that you are all keeping safe and well and sticking to the guideline’s issues by the Government and experts about what you can and cannot do in these trying times.
I don’t want to write yet another blog about Corona as it is the only topic of the day (which is understandable) but maybe it is time to mention other things.
I noticed actually that my own ‘fuse’ was getting shorter. Irritation with others about why they do not do what they are advised to do. And I think, even though I spent the majority of last year at home, that the sudden feeling engulfed me that I want to go out and about. Enjoy the beautiful spring nature, where new leaves are appearing on trees. Blossoms are in full color and glory. The first new lambs are darting about in the fields and the famous spring daffodils and tulips, blowing in the wind.
I was reminded of a very famous poem written by William Wordsworth many years ago:
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills
When all at once I saw a crowd
A host, of golden daffodils
Beside the lake, beneath the tree
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of the bay
Ten thousand saw I at a glance
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance
It’s lovely isn’t it? And maybe time to try and think about other things than the continual flow of depressing news.
In some of the social media groups to which I belong, I saw a lovely initiative begin in the USA of people decorating their windows with colored paper hearts. The most amazing creations have appeared. There are so many posts now, it’s impossible to keep up and like them all. But each and every one is charming and how much fun children and adults have had being creative and decorating their homes.
And there is certainly a lot of initiative and creative ideas for people who are at home. People are playing cards again, doing puzzles, coloring in patterns, knitting. embroidery and crochet. The list of ideas is endless. One thing I do think is important is to try and keep some sort of routine going. With children at home from closed schools and adults working from home it is very easy to get into ‘bad habits’. There have been endless discussions and suggestions and I notice myself that we are getting up later than usual, but for me, this means that my day has been shortened considerably and I get very little done.
I started a sort of ‘baking trend’ with my daughter. She is stuck at home working and looking after her one year old which is a very busy task. But she was baking biscuits and such like. I did the same and we had a sort of exchange at the makeshift ‘gym in the garage’ where her husband trains daily, together with my son. Pieces of cake, biscuits, quiches all get shared and even though we are only in contact on video social media, it’s fun.
The whole point is with all these creative ideas is that it takes your mind off the news and the doom and gloom scenarios. It is bad enough but every now and again it is a good idea and therapeutic too, to do something completely different. Baking or whatever, anything you can think of, just means you are doing something else. I tend to only watch the news selectively and not have it on all day. And once I have heard it, then watch other things. Binging on Netflix and such like as you reach a certain point where the normal programs are so boring and full of adverts anyway.
I also think a lot about the huge respect we all must have for those working on regardless. People in many walks of life who continue on giving care and attention to others. Enormous gratitude to all of them in all sorts of work. From doctors, nurses, delivery men, people in shops, online shopping, policemen, firemen, people who collect our garbage and to each and every person who has come up with an excellent idea to help in these trying times. Local flower growers who sell their produce at the gate, tulips, plants for the garden. A sort of drive in garden center. In fact, for all those who despite the dangers, carry on regardless. We should all think about this and remember it well.
I heard an interesting line of thought last night in a webinar in which I was one of the several thousand participants. The host talked about keeping positive and said to look at children for inspiration. They are so pure he said, they play on regardless, happy in their own little world, where the connection between body and soul is so much stronger. I thought about my own little granddaughter who is now 13 months, oblivious to what is happening in the news, just happy to be at home with her toys. She has three old mobile phones and whilst her Mum is working at home, she is happy to just pretend to call people too, chattering on in her own little language into the phone. She has made herself a sort of chill-corner with all the cushions on the floor and sits there talking to all her teddies and other stuffed toys. It is a joy to see, albeit it on video call only. Maybe we should all follow her a little bit and re-find our own inner child. Make your own little ‘chill corner’.
Here in The Netherlands, people placed teddy bears in the windows, for children to go out into the fresh air, having a break from being indoors, on a sort of treasure hunt to find all the bears. There were 70 I was told in my village alone. Another great idea. Especially for younger children.
And so, you see, when you get creative and think about other things, there is a lot we all can do to keep ourselves amused in these trying and difficult times. I personally find that when I am doing something else, I am not thinking about the news at all. That must be therapeutic in itself, just the break, even if only for a half an hour or so.
Another thing I think we are all noticing is how people are helping one another so much more. People are becoming more supportive and showing more empathy for their fellow man or woman.
Finally, we have a lovely date coming up soon, April 4th, 2020 when this will be a 444 day. In numerology the number 444 means ‘manifesting mastery’ A sure sign, they say, when your dreams, ideas and visions manifest into reality.
On that note, let’s all get manifesting!
Keep safe, sensible and well.
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