Lockdown Day 30, 31 & 32 - Freedom Wee-ee-eekend

Man, did this past weekend pull a number on me. You would think that after being home for a month, one wouldn't really still look forward to - or feel the effects of - a long weekend. Apparently, this is not necessarily the case.

Fridays are always pretty slow. No matter how much - or less - I work that week, I'm always ready to call it a day come Friday. As a result, by the time the online Zoom sessions have ended at lunch, I'm ready to take a nap with the kids. We had talked about doing another family movie night, but I'm not sure what happened to it, because by 21h00 we were all in bed.

And you won't believe it: I was in bed until 11h30 the next day! Granted, I was woken at 05h30 to deal with hungry children fighting over the tv. But I went back to sleep soon afterward. And even though I didn't sleep until lunch time, just being in bed, away from everything, and not having anyone need or want me for a bit, was pure bliss! By the evening I started feeling bad about the fact that I really didn't have anything to show for the day, but it didn't last long as I realised this was the first weekend in a year that I was not worrying about working on my own studies!

On Sunday Andel and I woke up with that hungover feeling. We had sat up chatting late into the night (probably a consequence of the late lay-in I had), and only fell asleep around 04h00. Our children, who do not know how to sleep in anyway, did not think this a good enough reason to leave us alone, so we were soon pottering around the house, and getting groceries for the week. We had a late afternoon braai that fed us for lunch and dinner, and an earlier evening.

Yesterday was Freedom Day, and despite the apparent lack of freedom under lockdown, I was reminded of the gift we have to choose what it is we want to do on this day. The circumstances we find ourselves in right now don't come close to the restrictions many South Africans lived through - not for one month of lockdown, but for their entire lives!

The longer we are in lockdown, the more I feel like I won't miss the BC (before Corona) lives we lived previously. I think for those of us who have been lucky enough to have enough during this time, it has been a wonderful and privileged time to break free from the expectations, routine, and pressures - some self-inflicted - that have dictated the pace and direction of our lives for a while. I, for one, have never felt more free...