Thursday 26 March
This is a red letter day – it is sunny.
Not a statement you would expect to hear from someone
living in Spain, but after two weeks of pretty miserable weather it was
something to get excited by. It started
off grey and overcast, but by mid-morning the clouds disappeared and the sun
came out.
Jan disappeared to fill the washing machine, I put on the
kettle and took the covers off the naya furniture. By the time she has put the washing out to
dry we were ready to enjoy the sun. Two
comfortable chairs, a snack, a kindle and an IPad. What more could you ask for.
Sitting enjoying a break in the sun is something we had
come used to, and not something to comment on.
It is a good indication of how much our lives have changed in the past
two weeks that this simple pleasure took on so much significance.
It also makes us appreciate, even more, how lucky we are
to be able to live here in Spain. Two
weeks of wet, cold and miserable weather in March would be the norm back in the
UK. Indeed we hardly noticed the
weather as we went about our busy working lives. I wonder if we would have noticed it more
when we retired, had we remained in the UK.
Probably not, because it was just part of life there. But we would certainly miss it now if we
had to return to the UK.
So even in these difficult and troubling times, and even
with the miserable weather on top of the other worries, we still have a lot to
be grateful for.
Friday 27 March
Not only wet today, but also much colder. The heating was back on as we faced another
day indoors. It is also two weeks
since lockdown began.
Given the change in the weather, and the prospect of at
least two more weeks of lockdown, it would be easy to give in and just be
miserable. Indeed it can be difficult
not to do so. But it is very true to
remember that many people, if not most, are worse off than we are.
We are fortunate to live on the outskirts of a very small
village, in a valley of widespread similar villages, far from the crowded
conditions that most people call home.
Imagine what it must be like to have a young family
living in a small flat in the middle of a large estate in a crowded city. It would still be wet and grey. But you would also have the constant worry
of what the future holds for you and your family. Unable to go out to work and earn a living
the prospects are bleak for many. Your
chances of being infected with the virus are much higher and you have to
explain to young children why they still can’t go out and play.
Like I say, you really do have to count your blessings.
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