There is a time

There is a time............................................

To gladly use the tumble dryer, which was an incredible gift, to ensure the family have clean clothes, maybe using up unnecessary electricity but saving on your energy, allowing it to be poured into something more valuable this week.

To not be with your best friend at the funeral of her father, even though everything in you wants to be there, because you know that your nephew needs you to be that smiley, safe person who will give him cuddles and let him share your lasagne even when he has eaten all of his own dinner.

To send your sister frequent texts about how things are going and how the family is coping when you know that she is struggling being 150 miles away, and to send texts that have those twists of humour even in a sad event, that allows her to feel connected without crying. Thank you little brother!

To let your son wear a really nice shirt out of a bag of gratefully received hand me downs, because he really likes the look of it and thinks he looks like he is going to a wedding, when in actual fact he is off to nursery to get messy, just because it makes him feel happy and that makes you feel happy when there is a lot of sadness around.

To drive late in the evening, when you are already completely exhausted, to weep with a friend whose three year old son has just had a stroke which at this point looks like it has had a serious impact.

To say "please, that would be so good" to a friend who offered to make your tea one night this week when normally you would you would say you were fine.

To use ordinary shampoo when your shower can only be 3 minutes long and it takes at least twice that long to rinse out bicarb and vinegar.

To not worry about the slugs probably decimating the garden, knowing that time and energy needs to be poured into people at the moment. Another season of planting will come.

To commit to regularly doing those back and shoulder exercises to deal with some build up of tension.

There is a time to quit blogging and get some much needed sleep!