Thank heaven for small acts of kindness.
It crossed my mind yet again today that many of us will be
changed by this time, some in little ways and some changed beyond all
recognition. Perhaps I am being fanciful but I think not. During this time when
for many of us, our lives are on hold; some have completely lost their jobs and
others work in business that have had to close their doors for an unknown time.
Our own business has totally stopped for this unexpected chapter in our lives.
We have a small antiques transport and container packing business.
What happens with that when its up and running is that
people with shops and warehouses in other country’s come to the UK and spent a
week or so buying pieces of furniture, small things, ornaments clocks, vases an
a myriad of other decorative items that they know from years of experience,
that they can sell in the stores they run in the town or city they live in.
Some have been doing that for generations.
My husband Stephen was born into a family antiques shop in Kingston-Upon-Thames that
his parents ran and his grandparents were also in the antiques trade and his
cousin too. Steve started his own business as soon as he had left school and
started to transport goods and buy and sell his own purchases himself.
He opened a business near Brighton buying antiques for
clients mainly from the USA
and packing 40’ containers full of all kinds of furniture. Later he moved his
business closer to our home, on The Vinery business estate on the main A27
between Brighton and Arundel and has operated
the business from there for fifteen years now. Actually it had become a kind of
Antiques village because there are dealers in every period of furniture types
and to compliment that there are also restorers on the estate. Everything from
fine antiques right down the scale through decorative items to second hand
furniture. Most of those warehouses are
closed now until the world comes back to life after the shock dead halt to most
peoples income.
The world has stopped traveling, and in my opinion that stop
was far too late. Travel started to look more and more responsible for the
arrival of the grim reaper in our own country and is still spreading around the
world. We all know somebody who has had the killer virus, and there have been a
horrendous amount of deaths reported. To prevent us panicking, we were only
given figures for the ones who had died in hospital and had been tested. After
so many weeks of questions being asked, the figures of others deaths of people
who showed the same symptoms are only now being admitted; those in care home or
those for died in there own homes.
How do we get over this? How do we move on? Can life ever be
the same I wonder.
The one minute silence this morning for NHS and other front
line workers who have given their lives for us, was a very emotional thing to
be shown on TV. So shocking that so many willing helpers had their lives taken.
The Thursday evening applause will have to go on for a good while yet won’t it,
even though it changes nothing.
So our business shutters being down and our small income
halted, is just something that we just will have to swallow in the present circumstances.
There are a few bright signs in that so many people have taken to a more simple
life and resigned themselves to losing their social circles.
It is heartening
that so many have taken up painting and sketching. I am still doing a little
embroidery and that gives me a peaceful few moments and there is a lot of
gardening being done also. I have planted a few vegetables for the first time
in twenty five years, the summer bedding plants have lost their place this
year. My daily writing is keeping me sane thank God and little fishes.
It has been heartening how so many friends have kept contact
with Steve and I during a period when we have chosen to stay indoors for most
of the time, only going out for the sunrise run on alternate days and home again
before 7am.
We found twin gifts from one friend, who we used to see
swimming and running with us regularly before the lock down. She had hidden
them outside our home for us to find. The identical packages contained a book
for each of us; Poems that make Grown Men Cry and with just a single word
change on my book. She had included a postcard note showing a Turner painting
on the face side to serve as a bookmark and sprig of lilac in a tiny bottle
that also caused an escapee tear or two. Thank you dear friends and family all.
What a comfort to be reminded that nice things can still happen even amidst
disaster times like these.
No comments:
Post a Comment