Oh my here we are the end of December 2020 and it has been like no other year . I know we had started to hear about the virus this time last year, but it was the other side of the world.It wouldn’t affect us, I wanted to believe. In my nieve way I wanted to shut it out, partly because I was trying to re build a new life after cancer and treatment. I was getting ready to take on a new job and a new way of life. There was no way I ever would of predicted our lives being turned upside down. So here is an alphabetical summary of our year in our household. I know many of your lives will have experienced similar.
Annual leave in August spent in hospital with my son having surgery for appendicitis.
Brownies forced to meet in bubbles outdoor face 2 face meetings, indoor face to face meetings and over social media and platforms.
Covid 19 hits us March 2020 and stays like an uninvited guest at a party.
Decorating, sorting, tidying has become the new entertainment for weekends.
Emotional roller coaster experienced.
Fiftieth birthday celebrated in lockdown style.
Home schooling, oh boy teacher of 26 years and who would of thought it was so stressful to teach one rather than 30 pupils. 5 months of juggling work and home learning.
Interviews a plenty, following heaps of job applications for Darren and college applications for Charlie.
Job offers. Darren started a new job in October and hated it. He left Christmas Eve.If this journey teaches you anything it is don’t be unhappy, life is too short. So new job awaiting him in March 2021. ( still being built)
Kisses and hugs so missed.Oh to kiss my mum and dad again and hug them. Human contact has never been more important.
Liver damage from cancer prevention drugs and lifestyle diagnosed .
Mock exams taken whilst socially distanced and wearing masks.
New car but now just only one, as we do not justify two cars. Reducing our carbon footprint.
Oncology visit for a cancer scare.My GP rang one Friday morning said my blood test results were a worry and it wasn’t looking good.I needed a scan urgently. Scan arranged by my oncologist. Gall stones and liver damage diagnosed phew what a worry.
Presence of fear every day. Fearful to leave the house and engage in normal every day tasks i.e. shopping. Fear that the post,that comes through your door harbours the germs that can kill you. Fear being ever present.
Quizzes, escape rooms, murder mystery and crazy challenges we tried it all to keep us entertained online with friends.
Redundacy for Darren in October.
Shielding going no further than my back gate for 3 months and now shielding once again. Missing the beauty of nature.
Tiers ever changing.
Undeterred for life to remain as normal as possible despite the rules, the regulations, restrictions and r factor.
VE day celebrated in the street socially distancing with neighbours.
Working from home. Which has its positives no travelling on the motorway in rush hour, no parking fees, no travelling on the bus and I think you achieve so much more in a day. But then again it can be lonely. In the office if you have a rough call someone checks you are okay. Same walls every day and evening.Sometimes not even venturing outside. I
Xmas and plans altered by Tier changes.
Your everday life changes and things become routine : face masks. sanitiser, stepping aside to alone someone to pass at a safe distance, knowing how far 2 metres is without the need to measure,online learning. online shopping, virtual meetings, virtual training. We were forced to adapt so quickly and we accepted the changes inorder to exsist.
Zoom- thank god for zoom and the chance to catch up with friends, family and my Brownies. So good to see people you love and care for.
This year so many changes have occurred. We have tried were possible to embrace them but there have been tears and disappointment too. Maybe as we welcome 2021 and a new year we can stop and reflect 2020 taught us many positives the value of family and the power of love, how important friends are too us, how wonderful nature is, how life doesn’t have to be so busy for us to enjoy it, how adaptable we are and lucky we are to have made it this far.
Me, You, Us and Breast Cancer 