In the beginning mild panic, watching hourly news updates, feeling anxious and worried. Texting, messaging, Facebook contact, remotely dropping in on friends and family, learning fast.
Everything stopped.
Work, shopping, where’s the postman, where’s the mail, usual TV, traveling, meeting friends meeting family, even the distant sounds, cars, trains, aeroplane’s, industry, distant voices.
Everything was silent, hard to get used to at first, peace and quiet, just silence.
The extreme silence was the first sense I noticed, opening my eyes in the morning, was it just a bad dream? Listening, the realisation, no it’s real, no distant hum of the bypass, no alarm buzzer, no commuter engines drone, just nothing, silence.
Then came the colour
How blue was the sky, how much whiter were the clouds, clearer, more intense, more distinctive the contrast?
Sat in the garden having a coffee one day I noticed how vivid and vibrant the little flowers in the pot were.
Have they always been so bright or am I seeing them with fresh eyes, in this new pure clearer light.
“Keep your head in the clouds, to keep your feet on the ground”
As the days progressed we saw bright April and May weather, sunshine and heat, every night a fabulous sunset. It was almost as if the weather was trying to cheer us up, giving us glorious warm days to spend in our yards and gardens.
Sunbeams, Moonlight and silver linings, were seen by all from our windows or gardens. Our natural environment doing it’s best to keep us grounded, balanced and motivated.
The Positive Observations
Now We Can See
With the warmth came the blossom, the birds and the bees.
The spring flowers to the gardens, the leaves to the trees.
Then came the moorland ground nesting birds, their distant calls carried along on the breeze.
Working for their worth, up from the dark earth, next came the grasses the worms and the weeds.
With raindrops that shone like stars and gemstones, even rainy days failed not, to impress one.
Now we can see.
Val Preston.
The Wildlife Came
With more time to spend in our gardens, the wildlife became accustom to our movements.
Deer on the lawn, hares racing and sunbathing, grasshoppers, birds and hedgehogs in the gardens full of blossom, and flourishing due to traffic less roads.
The pollinators were early, people observing their movements. Nature was putting on a show, or so it seemed, not really, we just had more time to notice.
Enjoy The Pause
Towards the later stages of lockdown people became impatient wishing to see family and friends, to get back to old routines, work and socialising. Little by little the lock down is lifting, more time outside, more exercise, outside shopping retailers, markets, large parks and private outdoor venues opening their doors to the public..
Have we learnt anything from this intrusion?
We miss our families and friends, more than pop stars, film stars and sporting heroes. Our home is a sanctuary, a safe place, the place we want to be, more than anywhere else.
Real super heroes work in hospitals, supermarkets, local shops, they are carers, community volunteers, teachers, delivery drivers, postmen and farmers. Feeding and caring for our nation their work has not stopped, it’s been a necessity.
Our natural world is our saving grace, with this pause we learnt to open our windows and doors, to appreciate the small things, gardens, back yards, allotments, community spaces and local countryside. Proven exposure to nature improves our quality of life, our mental and our physical health.
Will we get this chance again to reset, reboot and recharge, to learn, to move forward and to make a positive difference.
The choice is yours.
Enjoy the pause
See my #TrulyEssential #smelltheroses social media and video posts highlighting the connection with nature, our wellbeing and other local businesses also in lockdown, many thanks to those who contributed.
Twitter: @valpreston
Instagram: trulyessentialvalpreston
Facebook: Truly Essential- Tai Chi & Gigong
Facebook: Truly Essential-Aromatherapy
Facebook: Truly Essential Holistic & Beauty Therapist
Facebook: Give Back to Nature
Remember always “change brings opportunity”. Thank you for reading Val
My images were taken in the UK 2020 lockdown period.
All my images were taken in my garden or on private land with the owner’s permission. If you are wandering the countryside and footpaths please know your route and follow the Countryside Code, show kindness and respect to all living things.