Love In The Time of Lockdown
As the days quietly became weeks and slowly months had passed, it became clear that life was not going to be normal for a long time. The busy days were memories for now and this time was being experienced differently, at a new pace; unfamiliar, but not unpleasant.
With work commitments becoming a distant promise of income and creative output, my fingers itched to 'work’. I guess what we’re drawn to in our down moments is the thing we should be focussed on. I’ve never felt clearer on how lucky I am to count this as my ‘job’.
As the days developed, so the relationship between mother and daughter deepened. I was occasionally useful to Joni when she couldn’t reach her crisps, but I’m a bystander at this point in time to the love that these two share. It’s gratifying to watch and I’ve fallen in to my role of documentarian.
While others suffered either through illness or loneliness as lockdown kept, incessantly, continuing, we counted our blessings that our bubble was in tact. This little bubble of ours felt worthy of documenting as an historical note for Joni one day to see how we did and didn’t cope.
A more extensive collection of these images is now a book, gifted to Cat for her birthday, celebrated quietly, of course. She cried when she opened it, which I think means it’s been a success.
Including Laura Marling as she’s been a regular soundtrack to me, more so lately than ever.
Here’s to the wonderful ladies in my life, I’m extraordinarily lucky.
“You have a place in my heart no-one could ever have”
“Happiness lives inside of the smallest moments”
“It is true
I was created in you.
It is also true
That you were created for me.
I owned your voice.
It was shaped and tuned to soothe me.
Your arms were molded
Into a cradle to hold me, to rock me.
The scent of your body was the air
Perfumed for me to breathe.
Mother,
During those early, dearest days
I did not dream that you had
A large life which included me,
For I had a life
Which was only you.”
If you’d like to see even more, you can watch an extended slideshow version here.