One thing I have found during lockdown is that Sarah and I are finally getting around to completing all the niggly little bits that have needed doing around the house. Obviously that mostly means Sarah is my handyman whilst I supervise, but let’s not get pedantic. We have put up the lights around the TV unit that have been waiting for months, are sorting out the garden, putting up CCTV etc… When Amelia is at school there is a lot of time lost taking and picking her up, so it is a great chance to do what we need to.

We are also making a big effort to focus on family bonding and activities, as since we are in such close proximity all the time we need to ensure we all get along. What I really mean is that we are playing a lot of games like snap and bingo with Amelia, or I Spy etc when we go for a walk round the estate. Sarah and I have played cluedo a few times (stupid game, I haven’t won once yet) and we are making sure to communicate more. Even little things like watching movies the other isn’t particularly fond of is important; we have a very small house, and so compromises are part and parcel of our situation. Game of Thrones has also become a new obsession of ours…

Living together isn’t always easy for the three of us. We don’t have a lot of room in our little home, and so we are often getting on top of one another. Thankfully the weather seems to be taking a turn towards something resembling sunshine, which means we can get out in the garden and let Amelia burn off some energy. We have had to learn that there is nothing wrong with Sarah and I doing our own thing, so for instance I can podcast or blog whilst she watches TV or plays her games. This lockdown situation isn’t good for anyone, but we really are making the most of it.

One thing that has been on my mind recently is the extent that some people go to flaunting the rules. One house near me constantly has people in and out, and it’s not the same few that live there either. Personally I strongly disagree with this, as quite simply the rules are there to protect all of us. I am very lucky to have some amazing family and friends who work for the Ambulance Service, as student nurses, social workers, radiographers, truck drivers, pharmacy assistants, physio assistants, healthcare assistants, carers… the list goes on, and the link between them all is that they are ‘Key Workers’. Prior to this situation, they were the people who never got a second thought, who were seen as just doing their jobs like everyone else. On one hand, I am incredibly happy that they are finally getting the recognition they deserve, on the other it winds me up that it takes an event like this to happen for people to be appreciative of others. Oh well. Jess, Darren, Jenny, Demi, Jodie, Hayley, my parents (all 4 of them), the countless others that I could mention, I have just one thing to say to you; thank you. You are all brilliant people, and on every thursday evening, when we stand on the doorstep clapping for our incredible NHS, I will be thinking of all of you. Hopefully once this is over we will get some changes for the better; higher minimum wages, more funding for the NHS, better understanding of who actually matters in society.

My heart goes out to everyone at the moment, I really don’t know who to think about more. The people I’ve mentioned above are all doing so much and making huge sacrifices for the good of others. The family and friends of people who have been taken by this awful virus are getting no closure. People living alone are getting no social interaction. I could go on, but you get the gist. Let’s all be kind, pull together and hopefully we will get out of it soon.

On a final note, I would like to wish everyone a happy easter. It may not be the same this year, with not being able to see families and keep up other such traditions, but it is still a special time and we are all in the same boat. Have a great weekend, but remember: Stay home, Protect the NHS, Save lives.