The “At-Home” Diaries: How Are You Feeling?

I read this term somewhere this morning and thought it very clever, for if nothing else it has certainly been an up and down, topsy-turvy year. Loop the loop has nothing on Corona. In some ways coming out of a severe lockdown has been even harder. I think because of the uncertainty, the fear – yes, there is a definite feeling of fear with the unknown – and all the changes the year has shown us. How we took for granted the “sureness” and “inevitability” of the way we lived?

How are you feeling?

A day can bring a million moods and what I once was so sure of, now I am not. I know the important elements in life – family and friendship – are even more significant since our world has been rocked by Corona. Health, diet and exercise are a priority as we try our hardest to support our immune systems and fight this nasty virus with all we have. The confusion is difficult around what is the right way to defeat such an enemy and each country takes its own approach and advice. I believe we have to be personally vigilant and make sure we are doing what is right for us. If you have been unlucky enough to experience Corona in the early days – I have – it is tough and not something I want to go through again. I’m absolutely fine but it has taken some recovering.

Physical recovery is one element but how we feel is another.

We need nurturing, we need kindness and we need an enormous amount of positive energy. Some need more of one and less of another but I do believe we need a focus on self-nurture. Not selfishness; that’s a whole other deal. If we are in the best shape we can be then our friends and families can benefit. Some of us are stronger than others and can handle more but whatever our life circumstances, this year has been a tough experience. I try to take away positives, which becomes harder every day as I watch our younger generation suffer emotional distance from each other and job uncertainty, work hard on those and retain my spirit. We are also allowed “down” days because it would be naive to ignore those.

“Home” is how I do it.

Never before has our everyday living been so important. A bunch of flowers seems to be worth the world, a painting can take on a whole new meaning and memorable objects even more precious. Where we found them, why they are important – these are happy reminders to days past and days to come. We are living and breathing our homes almost 24/7 in many cities and what we enfold ourselves in has never been more important; the ambience of our interiors has never been so consequential. Yesterday, as the darkness closed in on a very short day I focussed on the brightness of a bunch of hot pink roses and the fragrance of a rose-poivree candle. I added a cosy quilt to my bed – pink of course – giving added texture to the bedroom.

In the sitting room, I lit the fire, bought some pot plants inside from our terrace and lit tea candles on the coffee table – the small and insignificant actions sometimes yield the greatest benefit.

I guess what I am trying to say is we must look after us and if it means a new candle, a bunch of flowers or a re-arrange of our home – then let’s do it and in abundance. xv