Hippocrates said ‘walking is man’s best medicine’ and at such an odd time, walks have certainly lifted our spirits…
Lockdown for us has meant three generations living under the same roof.
My daughter Alexa and four year old Charlie, who live a short drive from us,
moved in at the start, so she could work from her computer and I could help
with child care. From the bubble of our home in a beautiful part of the
Oxfordshire countryside it’s been easy to forget what’s going on outside during
this difficult and worrying time.
We’re all stuck together here but the wonderful truth is that we haven’t
been getting on each other’s nerves! The big thing has been having a routine.
Mornings have been exercising and work for all of us; coffee break at 11.00 and
lunch at 1.00. Then our afternoons were free and between 2.00 and 4.00 came our
walks which remained one of the few activities open to all. Hippocrates said
‘walking is man’s best medicine ‘ and at such an odd time, walks have certainly
lifted our spirits and played a big part in making our lockdown a happy time.
Our starting point was always from our front door. We discovered new
footpaths and bridle paths; we avoided random rambles. They were always
exciting, like micro adventures.
While our world became a smaller place we
explored areas that we wouldn’t otherwise have discovered. We’ve witnessed the
changes in the landscape in unseasonably warm Spring conditions; new growth in the fields, the
hedgerows coming into flower, trees changing colour, bluebell woods, being able
to listen to bird song not drowned out by traffic - the joy of small things. At
least Spring didn’t get cancelled during Coronavirus!
It’s all been a joy to
glimpse into natural beauty all around us and appreciate this quieter way of
life. Our walks enabled us to forget what was going in the outside world.
Footnote.
Alexa and Charlie are back at
their home now as he has returned to
school. We loved the simplicity of our lives together in those enforced two
months of isolation and our walks will always be a very happy and joyful memory
for all of us.
Jeannie Tognola, 19/06/2020 12:10:03
