Harsh lockdown continues for those in the Greater Auckland Region. If you aren’t there, it’s hard to remember or imagine what it’s like. We all know in our heads that it’s hard, but the young people going through it know.
Some are doing okay. Particularly the introverts. They might enjoy the company of their brothers and sisters and are quite happy to stay at home.
And some are struggling. Particularly the extroverts. They miss seeing people, they miss their friends, they miss their regular events.
One little extrovert tot, aged three, sat in the supermarket trolley while her mum did supermarket shopping, and this little tot tried speaking to people – ‘Hello, what’s your name?’ (Big friendly smile). She didn’t get any response from any of the many people she tried to be friendly towards. People are distracted, weary, worried.
What can we do about it? We can smile and chat to the friendly children we might see. We be sympathetic and comforting to those around us. We can forgive more readily and make more allowances for grumpiness. And, of course, we can watch ourselves for grumpiness and try to avoid it.
Some things that are rather lovely at the moment, are the spring blossom, spring flowers, longer days, warmer weather… Actually looking out of the window or being in my garden is better for me than checking the news and listening to talkback radio.
I have set myself a challenge of seeing if I can go a single day without checking for bad news or listening to silly talkback callers. If you’ve been feeling a bit sad, why not join me? 🙂