The early morning silence is broken by the bush birds, echoing through the valley. I slowly stir to this beautiful sound and for a few minutues life feels good. I roll over, my husband slumbers beside me and I register that my son is still asleep in his r

The early morning silence is broken by the bush birds, echoing through the valley. I slowly stir to this beautiful sound and for a few minutues life feels good. I roll over, my husband slumbers beside me and I register that my son is still asleep in his room down the hall just as a brush turkey jumps from a giant Blackbutt onto the roof, all is as it should be.

Then reality slowly sets in and I become mindful that life is not as it should be.....it's just another COVID-19 day and nothing is really as it should be.

I'm not getting up at 5:55AM to prepare breakfast and lunches for my family and help them get out the door by 7AM for the train to the city for work and school. All the time feeling a rush of excitement as I enjoy the thrill of watching my twelve year old son get ready for another day at the high school he worked so hard to get into and which he has enjoyed every minute of being a 'Form 1 Boy'!

This is all before I face my day of a variety of creative and physical pursuits as I extend myself professionally and personally as well as caring for my home and family, a very satisfying and fulfilling life.

Instead I'm faced with a day of managing home schooling and suffering my husband 'working from home' and not pursuing any of my previous endeavors, all cancelled or paused for the long term.

How did this happen? When will it end? Will we still like each other when it's all over?

Thank goodness for the beautiful bush birds and their constant presence in our changeable world.