A radio station recently asked listeners to reflect on life during the lock down. Some responses were whimsical and wryly amusing, like this one:
"I met this lady at the start of lock down, that's now permanently at my house. I've learnt that she is my wife, and I was pleasantly surprised at how nice she is!"
Others put the situation nicely into perspective:
"Appreciate more, complain less. We are safe in our homes. What about people who don't have a home? Some don't have a fridge or a pantry to say "what can I eat?" This thought should be with us all times even if we aren't in lock down."
And then, there was this one. It caught our eye because it summed up the feelings of frustration and sadness that many of us felt.
"My four-year-old really does have feelings like adults. She'd tell me how much she misses her grandparents. She'd ask me why no one wanted to see us anymore. I told her the world is feeling a bit unwell and we have to all stay home until it gets better. Now, when she eats her vegetables she tells me she will get really tall and strong so she can make everyone better. And then we can go outside again and see the whole wide world."
With the uncertainty of another lockdown looming, families and friends are looking at ways to get together safely. Our picnic blankets are sought after items as people look for easy ways to get together. Lock down has given us a new appreciation of the simple things in life, and nothing better encapsulates that than a traditional picnic. Even though the weather is cooling down, people are still keen to get outdoors to reconnect with family, friends and nature. That they choose to do so on one of our picnic blankets gives us a nice warm feeling; it's good to know we can play a small but important role in that reunion!
"I am giving myself permission to take the time to read, notice dewdrops on fallen autumn leaves and watch the lemons on my tree slowly ripen . . ."
As we've said, this lock down experience has given us a renewed sense of gratitude for the simple things in life. The above quote says it beautifully. When was the last time we noticed dewdrops on fallen autumn leaves? We've had to slow down and appreciate what we have around us, even if it is the lemons on a tree! It would be nice to think we'll hold onto that sense of thankfulness as we re-engage with the people we love, and with nature as well. Given the number of picnic blankets we're selling, that seems to be the case, and we couldn't be happier.