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Roll on November

swilkinson

Entry posted by swilkinson in General

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As of the first of November I am allowed to travel . It has been a long time coming. I have been fully vaccinated since the end of June but the State government has been slow to release us from the Greater Sydney area.. But that is set to change on November 1st. We will still be masked and social distanced but we can move around again. Now that is something to be happy about.

 

During lockdown and the past three weeks my life has been very routine. Gardening has been a life saver, something to draw me outside, mild exercise and because the kids next door were also outside, interaction with others. The past three weeks some more shops opened, we were allowed to sit and drink coffee, I actually went out to lunch once and the Lions Club met last Tuesday for dinner. It is not freedom yet but at least some social encounters can take place.

 

I know in a few years we will laugh at our panicking about this virus and the government response but we are all afraid to a certain extent of dying or having an illnesss which will have life long side effects. In 1990 I had a virus that required ten days in hospital with some fairly experimental drugs that eventually saw me cured. However a third of my right lung that was compromised then is now hardening. So I didn't come through it unscathed. I think the same may happen with Covid.  

 

So we soldier on. The strokes Ray had taught me to just get on with life. At times when I didn't know what to do I just did the next thing on the list. Sometimes I felt like giving up but who would have looked after Ray if I did?  Sometimes when I was in chat or when I posted something on here someone made a kind comment and that was enough to lift my mood and the kindness and concern by people who I hardly knew gave me the courage to go on.

 

So thank you to all those who offer others encouragement on here. I know sometimes we seem to have do little to offer but our comment and the comments of others build us up and encourages us to go on. I don't need to be here now in a way but I still want to stay and interact with others who are in the same position Ray and I once were. Basically I want to express concern and repay the kindness that wa once shown to me. That is important to me.

 

So I hope that those who read this will soon be enjoying some new freedoms too. I hope that you can plan some reunion on Thanksgiving Day or at Christmas or whatever festival you and your family celebrate. I hope your circumstances improve and you can move around freely again. And we then can  truly appreciate the true meaning of freedom in a caring community.

 

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GreenQueen

So glad freedom is yours again Sue!

 

We are opening borders to you guys next year.

 

We have no idea how to cope with long lockdowns, and hopefully we won't find out!

 

Thanks to you, I do know that whatever happens over here, we will cope.

 

💚👑

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swilkinson

It's a bit of a mixed bag, some people are going out and about, planning interstate holidays and family reunions and others hardly come out at all. So talking to friends some will do meet ups and some think next year is soon enough. No-one seems very excited about Christmas, so no parties just meet ups. I went to one end of year gathering and was the only person dressed in Christmas gear which was really unusual. And some still think there will be future shut downs.

 

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HostTracy

You know Sue I think going through a stroke and surviving and everything I do now to be my best has taught me a lot about life, priorities, and fears. First, I am absolutely not afraid of dying... heck I layed on a floor and vomited my brains out one night while talking to death (stroke). It makes me realize how little I truly have control of and that it is my reaction to or of what is happening that makes the difference. I am truly thankful for this as it leads to much less anxiety about life in general. It has also helped me when processing truly very difficult times in my family i.e. my grandmother's, my brother's, and my dad's deaths. I think to others I may seem cold but it is not about not caring at all. I am just at peace with the knowledge that my loved ones earthly pains are no more and are with their loved ones who are in heaven happy and ok. My faith is strengthened. Priorities has been a harder lesson because it just takes time to come to an acceptance of yourself post stroke and that to embrace that is not giving up but still trying all the time and not letting things "bother" me unneccesarily (a real blessing too). Life is what you make it even if your making it looks way different from your past or the others around you. Finding the positive, making lemonade out of lemons, a cup half full, etc. It's not always easy but it feels better than soaking in the latter. I pray for everyone to find these truths for themselves whatever they may be... my hopes, dreams, happiness and self worth are mine and we are all so different (which is wonderful) for everyone. My acceptance of today and me today I reaffirm every morning because well it changes everyday. Remember find the positive and hold on, create what you can with what you have, and practice mindfulness and gratitude (works wonders just to do this). Happy Holidays all.

 

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Willis
On 12/10/2021 at 4:53 PM, HostTracy said:

You know Sue I think going through a stroke and surviving and everything I do now to be my best has taught me a lot about life, priorities, and fears. First, I am absolutely not afraid of dying... heck I layed on a floor and vomited my brains out one night while talking to death (stroke). It makes me realize how little I truly have control of and that it is my reaction to or of what is happening that makes the difference. I am truly thankful for this as it leads to much less anxiety about life in general. It has also helped me when processing truly very difficult times in my family i.e. my grandmother's, my brother's, and my dad's deaths. I think to others I may seem cold but it is not about not caring at all. I am just at peace with the knowledge that my loved ones earthly pains are no more and are with their loved ones who are in heaven happy and ok. My faith is strengthened. Priorities has been a harder lesson because it just takes time to come to an acceptance of yourself post stroke and that to embrace that is not giving up but still trying all the time and not letting things "bother" me unneccesarily (a real blessing too). Life is what you make it even if your making it looks way different from your past or the others around you. Finding the positive, making lemonade out of lemons, a cup half full, etc. It's not always easy but it feels better than soaking in the latter. I pray for everyone to find these truths for themselves whatever they may be... my hopes, dreams, happiness and self worth are mine and we are all so different (which is wonderful) for everyone. My acceptance of today and me today I reaffirm every morning because well it changes everyday. Remember find the positive and hold on, create what you can with what you have, and practice mindfulness and gratitude (works wonders just to do this). Happy Holidays all.

 

Love this. It speaks for so many of us and feels so comforting to know I'm not alone with these challenges from physical right through the emotional. Thank you for taking the time to so carefully put this in words.

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