“Days go by as in a dream” said my husband today. I agree. The only way I keep track of time is the awareness that I was cleaning the house for the 3rd time in a row, hence it must be the 3rd week of confinement starting..I am not complaining though. We live in a wonderful semi- holiday mode: I have taken off my alarm clock and sleep uninterruptedly through the night. In most mornings I wake up at 8:00, the kids 8:30 (Really). I practice some yoga or go for a run, kids get to watch some cartoons even though not a weekend. We eat breakfast at 9:00 and start school and workday at 9:30. Our baby girl has trouble not being in the centre of attention. She has a very loud and disturbing way to show this. Often I end up holding her on my lap while doing the math with my second one and trying to enjoy my coffee.
Around 11:00 we go all out for a walk. We have a new favourite trail. I like it particularly, because it passes through a wonderful, peaceful one-way street with an amazing piece of land on sale. I let my dreams fly. Even the neighbours seem nice and considerate. Yesterday we noticed a signpost in front of one of the houses. I read a letter from the Directrice of a Centre for children annexed to the University hospital. She would like to collect toys for the 9 children currently in the premises, who are not allowed to go to the play room due to the Covid-19. I explain this to the kids and in the evening we prepare a bag of toys no longer played to be given to the Centre. The kids are very excited with the idea.
Overall, the circumstances have woken up a solidarity among people I never saw before. One of the most touching events takes place every evening at 20:00, when people go out to balconies and gardens and pay tribute to the hospital staff on their bravery. Yesterday evening we took the kids out to our street and it was very emotional experience to see the windows, doors and gardens filling with people applauding. On the other hand, this has created some negative reactions among the hospital staff as well. One interviewee claimed he feels furious by this gesture and considers it pretentious as majority of the people applauding them now have voted of a party behind the biggest cuts on healthcare in Belgium. I hope change will take place.m
