Today, 3rd of June 2020, the National security council met and decided to enter the 3rd and 4th phase of de-confinement. Most restrictions are lifted. Belgian schools start tomorrow, others next week, kids activities, public gatherings (less than 50 people) are accepted, restaurants and cafes will re-open. Concerning individual rights, people can meet with 10 persons beyond the family. According to the press the Covid-19 is under control in Belgium. This was a long list of reasons to celebrate! Freedom after almost 3 months of confinement!
And yet, after a tour among neighbours and friends, feelings are mixed. People are suspicious, after so heavy restrictions, how can they dismantle everything at once? What about the social distancing, wearing a mask and washing hands? People seem unsure whether to dare to put their kids to school (us included: “why risk for the sake of a few weeks?), where to travel and whom to meet? Even if borders open, is it safe to take the plane, should we still stay in quarantine before meeting grand-parents. I made the most difficult decision yesterday not to travel to North this summer, to our greatest disappointment. Given the opening of the schools, the more extensive exposure to other children and families, and the devastating contagion rate here, I cannot take the risk of bringing it to my family. It will be a different summer and hopefully in the fall months we will be able plan another trip.
We will miss this surrealistic, warm spring, which brought hopefully most families together. I will miss our slower paced mornings, long walks and bike rides, plays in the garden and kids joy of novelties, such as sleeping in the tent tonight. We have managed to have time also for ourselves, for the home and garden and for creative projects. I am learning to play piano with my girls, and we finally signed up to the tennis club next door, we have so much fun together playing daily. We started the greenhouse and I have planted plenty of plants and herbs. We witness our baby girl take leaps in development, this week the potty training has taken a new peak! Can’t believe we could soon be pamper-free household!
Really, what I am saying is, I don’t think I am ready to return to any other normal.
