A Day at a Time – A Daily Blog of Life in Lockdown
Gardening, whilst always a pleasure, is now something I make more time for and am really loving. Cosmos and sweet pea seedlings have been delivered but we haven’t been able to get compost. We remember the dilapidated compost bin at the top of the garden and work to put it back in order (well, the husband does) and find the treasure of rich, organic matter at the bottom. I build a sweet pea frame with thin branches kept from pruning the apple tree and we are ago!
Late in the afternoon, we walk the dogs and appreciate the beauty all around. The air seems clearer and the sky is blue even into the far distance where I am sure I remember a blanket of grey hanging over the landscape. A deer crosses our path. I am loving this quieter, slower pace of life. No rushing around to be places and yet at the same time working and connecting with friends. It’s like living in the 50s but with all the modern technology for zoom meetings and online social gatherings. I am even thinking of keeping hens.
Pre-covid-19 I wasn’t even that busy but seemed to fritter away time. Now, time has taken on a different feel – I am noticing the arising of sound or movement out of silence and stillness and the beauty of things. The uncertainty of what’s happening and the being in touch with my own mortality and that of loved ones, has finally made me prioritize what is important and live every wonderful moment. Joseph Campbell’s words come to mind: –
“People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think that’s what we’re really seeking. I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances with our own innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive.”
My hope is that learning to live with Covid-19 prompts the conversation about what needs to change ……for the long term.
