Life and Community in Lockdown

One of the key things which lockdown has shown us all is that we need to stop taking everything for granted. Slow down. Notice your surroundings. Appreciate the little things like spending time with friends, going out for a drink, hugging the people you love. When all this is over, it might seem like the easiest thing to do is forget it ever happened and go back to normal. Don't forget. You will inevitably fall into a routine and focus on different things and get stressed about work and all of that - but don't forget this time. You have been given the gift of perspective: the perspective to see what is really most important, and to appreciate how special those small parts of normal life really are. Don't forget the compassion of people in times of hardship. Don't forget the new connections and ways of communicating and sharing love and community that have grown out of this time. Let go of the little distractions; hold close to the people you love. Take time to stop, to smile, to breathe in the air, to take walks in whatever outdoor space you can find. We have to remember how important it is to slow down. We have to remember the cleaner air, the appreciation of the world around us, the time with family. We’ve had the chance to see how easy it really is to keep in touch with people far away. So, keep in touch. Have a virtual games night with the friends you haven't seen in person in a few months. Take care of each other; stay safe; don’t forget to breathe.

2020-04 See all items with this value

Worthing, UK

Phoebe Walker

1 - this picture shows the main thing that have kept me occupied during lockdown (other than work): learning to crochet and making crochet gifts for friends and family
2 - in this image you can see two major aspects of lockdown life: my makeshift workspace (using a foldout camping table cable-tied to some planks of wood), and in the foreground the bread and wine of taking communion at home as we stay connected with our church community remotely with live streams (as seen on the tv screen) and zoom calls
3 - love in lockdown! Suddenly separated for months, we still have date night where we make and eat dinner "together" through the wonder of video calling
4 - a new lockdown tradition for our family has been having a pot of tea together every morning, and on VE day we made some extra tea and some scones to have a socially distant celebration with our neighbour who lives on her own (with the adorable dog in the photo). Being stuck close to home has encouraged us to spend more time with family and neighbours who are so close to hand
5 - walking has become an integral part of lockdown life, especially as we are fortunate to live within walking distance of a lovely park and churchyard one way and the beach in the other
6 - we may not be able to have big outings or celebrations with friends but we've made an effort to celebrate special occasions like birthdays as best we can! This photo shows the slightly ridiculously decorated banana splits I made for my step-dad's birthday