This year has been a rough one and it's not over yet. There have been so many problems, financial and human losses and the list can continue. The level of negativity, anger and desperation is unimaginable, not to mention the mental damages some have suffered. So it's just about time to look at the bright side and sum up the good things.
@ecotrain has a challenge for this week, called Name 5 positive consequences of COVID19, so let's see my list.
We got to see how amazing our neighbors are, not that we have ever doubted that.
When the lockdown started, we got stuck in the city. The gardening season was just about to start, spring works had to begin, but because there was no way we could travel back and forth between the city and my dad's place, we accepted the defeat and let the gardening season go. Then a miracle happened, our lovely neighbors did the work in our garden. They knew what and how and did it without anyone asking them. Thanks to them, we got onions, garlic, carrots and parsley this year. These days people are not so open and helpful, you can't rarely meet people like them, so we're grateful to have them. Obviously their good deed has been rewarded.
New skill, sewing. I remember in February I was so afraid of my sewing machine I got shaky when was forced to fix a pair of trousers, as I had no choice. The the lockdown happened and I thought I'd use that little spare time to experiment and learn. I started with watching YouTube video tutorials, then started sewing denim bags, now I have my own Etsy shop and selling my products. All this in a few months.
The best thing is I'm working with recycled materials, denim and everything I can put my hand on, using our old clothes to create something new, reuse and stop waste. I can tell you, the lockdown was the busiest time of the year and I don't regret it.
I got to spend two weeks with my niece and got to teach her cooking and baking. She's now old enough to learn her way in the kitchen and it's important she does. Life is unpredictable, you never know where you end up or in what situation and it comes in handy if you know how to cook and bake. Eating healthy is important and the best way to do that is to cook your own meal. She's very interested and already know a few things, so it was great to work with her and enjoy the fruit of our work. When she was little, she always loved my sweets and food. Now she can cook and bake those at home.
Family meetings. After the lockdown I made sure to have quite a few family gatherings, have some quality time together and enjoy each other's company. Life is short, something bad can happen in a split second and you lose someone you love. My dad had a medical emergency in June, we could have lost him, but we didn't. So every day is a gift and we have to celebrate every occasion we get, and we did. Now that we're dealing with the second wave, at least we have those nice memories.
New shopping strategy. As I've said before, the economic consequences of the pandemic are huge and a part is yet to come. The economy is suffering, people are suffering, so it's time we all do something to help. My strategy is to buy local food as much as possible and other domestic products. Exception from this rule are clothes (not necessarily) and electronics. This way I can support local farmers and producers. It's working perfectly, at this time I've already developed a routine, have the products that fit my needs.
Foraging. This may look strange, but it's a very good way to get some fruits and herbs, if you know where and how. Having a property outside a city has its advantages, one of which is you can go foraging to places you know are pollution free or where the level of pollution is minimal. We're already growing half of our fruits and vegetables in the garden, but there are things we can just forage and enjoy.
The mushrooms you see in the photo have been collected in an hour or so from a place far from the city. Free food while you're out in the woods, enjoying fresh air and nature. We got 5 jars of pickles, but could have made a lot of stew as well.
The other thing I did this year is foraging my own tea. Elder flower, wild mint are two of what I could get this year.
There are many small things that are consequences of covid19 and I could go on and on. You just have to look back and see small things as well, not just what you couldn't have.
2020 has been a tough year, but also a lesson for all of us. Life has changed dramatically, our rights and possibilities have been limited or even taken away. Those things we used to take for granted have not been there anymore. We can to complain and whine about it, which won't help anyone.
Instead we should concentrate on what we've learnt from it and see how we can adapt to this situation and change our lives, so we can survive till this madness is over. This question is perfect for us to look back and think it over.