Dear Yuri,
As I look from my window, I see a world I barely recognise.
2020 was the year we were going to change the world. Single use plastics, carbon footprints, and equality. We were trying, but these things happen at a glacial pace. People were still divided.
Little did we know, a faster change was coming, which would grind the entire world to a halt overnight. We all thought viral pandemics were a storyline reserved for the movies, but here we find ourselves with the starring role. I look away from the glass, to the world inside my window, a world with my wife and 18 month old daughter. Being Thea’s daddy is my greatest achievement. When she was born, I looked down at her with a love I’d never known, and remember thinking I would protect her not matter what.
Children are the most resilient adapters and watching this unfold through Thea’s eyes is teaching me how to navigate my way forward without fear.
The glass IS half full.
When daddy puts on a mask and gloves to protect him from the virus, Thea imagines we are playing doctors and nurses. When Mummy washes her hands, Thea thinks it’s the best game of water play. When we clap out our windows to say thank-you to our frontline workers, Thea is sure it must be someone’s Birthday. She remembers clapping with friends at Nursery.
I doubt she will remember this time in detail. Covid-19 will be resigned to the history books, but one thing I am sure of is that she will remember the times when we giggled so much our tummies hurt. We cuddled all day and lived in a world of endless cardboard box dens and pyjama days.
I sometimes have moments of fear, but not today.