Tears in Tiers?
Today's blogpost is about being allowed to be yourself.
That's quite a grand opener, isn't it?
I don't mean being allowed to act as you would have before the pandemic - no - and don't misunderstand me; I think these lockdowns/vaccinations/tiered systems are all for the common good.
What I mean is not feeling guilty about being you.
This really hit home this week.
I have an older sister (other siblings too) who lives about 200 miles away. She is a cancer survivor and has been self-isolating since March. Very sensible.
Now. She's spent most of the year working on what she calls 'heirlooms' - hand-sewn patchwork pieces that family can have for years to come, and after she is no longer here. She made two quilts for my grandchildren - her great niece and nephew.
Over the weeks we have chatted online about the progress of her work, and in particular how these quilts have been coming along. Two weeks ago she told me that they were going in the post - First Class and signed for - that day. A box weighing almost three kilos, A3 sized.
I have never received the parcel. Last week we started to investigate.
The Post Office say it was delivered and they have the delivery driver's signature (addressee's don't sign due to COvid-19). We were here that day. We never received a parcel. Man Wonderful has checked everywhere.
Suffice it to say my sister is devastated; but feels guilty feeling bad because others are suffering due to the coronavirus - loss of income, death in the family, loneliness.
She should not feel guilty at all for her feelings.
We should all feel as we feel:- happy for laundry that comes out whiter than white; excited about a book we have read; low about losing something precious.
Our feelings are our values.
I feel like this is a bit like a sermon, and I don't mean to dictate at all.
It's just taught me a real lesson this week.
A quote from Joyce Grenfell springs to mind, a quote I used at my mum's funeral:
Weep if you must, parting is hell
But life goes on, so sing as well.
Take care,
Tracey xx
You are so right of course. Nobody should feel guilty about how they are feeling. I do hope that the parcel is found.
ReplyDeleteMy church hosted an online event last night - 3 ministers form different denominations discussing the pandemic and how they have had to respond and how their congregations have coped. And one thing all of them said was - "it's ok to have bad days and to be able to say that" - it has been a terrible year and people are sad - for whatever reason.
ReplyDeleteI think that you and your sister are entitled to be upset - especially after all her hard work. I really hope that the parcel is found. Good luck.