Change

Aberrant. Abnormal. Anomalous. Fearful. New. Out of the ordinary. Strange times.

Life has changed. It’s almost the stuff of fiction. I, for one, am feeling mentally wholly disassociated and fragmented. And I am sure I am far from alone in this.

As a mum, wife, daughter, sister and friend as well being self-employed here at ItsLello, there isn’t one aspect of “normal” day-to-day life that hasn’t changed. And we are living with a quiet undercurrent of worry and concern. How long will Covid-19 take to get under control? How will it affect our lives in the longer term? Will my loved ones all come through this unscathed?

I’ve watched nearly all my work dwindle over the last three weeks as the small businesses I work with reduce their outgoings and in some cases temporarily shut up shop. Ironically, my year had been going well enough to allow me to go back to college for half a day a week to study for a horticultural qualification — something I’ve wanted to do for years. The course, like my work, has stopped. It has brought into sharp focus just how vulnerable the self-employed/freelance sector is when times get tough. These are indeed strange times of everyone.

So, onto new challenges. Homeschooling. We will be spending an awful lot of time together as a family, and creating a safe place amidst the current chaos. We’ll be focusing on staying safe and managing risk decisions to keep the family happy and healthy. And I’ve taken up the offer of some new work from a fantastic local small business so working from home.

My garden is going to be amazing! The plum tree is just coming into flower, and we’ve already enjoyed one picking of rhubarb.