So my plan is not to do a day by day synopsis of lockdown, but today was yet again another interesting day. On day two of lockdown, despite our social isolation I feel more connected to the world and all my friends than I have in months.

We’re in a new world. Strange unfamiliar territory. There is an enemy out there, but we can’t see it. It might be lurking just around the corner, or it might only be in the neighbourhood 15km away – I just don’t know. I haven’t left my house for any reason for over a week, and I was surely expecting to feel like I have cabin fever by now, but the truth is I don’t feel that way. Not at all. Instead, I feel … SAFE.

My life has slowed down. Literally, after years of chasing my tail, and some or other deadline, I’m in a place now …no correction, We are all in a place now, where no matter how fast we go, or how efficient we think we are, we are not going anywhere – at least not for three weeks. So trying to rush anything won’t make a stitch of difference. There’s a strange sense of relief and comfort in that. We don’t even know if this lockdown will actually even be over in April…. We just don’t know. Strangely, there is reassurance in the fact that we all do not know, because not knowing for sure means that logically we can’t plan anything for sure. The universe says Be Quiet and Rest.

So that’s what I ended up doing. I’m working a little bit. I’m reading a bit and playing Catan Online. I’m doing some household chores, and preparing meals with my kids – the three of us were all in the kitchen this afternoon cooking. We’re having meals that have been prepared without the usual rush, and we taking more time to eat. That feels nice. Really nice.

From my interactions with friends this morning, it dawned upon me that what we’re all feeling today is ‘acceptance’. We’re staying in touch with each other and we’re sharing what we are doing to pass the time. We are also sharing information that we have that will help us all adjust to this new way of life. I realised that a healthy way for the kids and I to get through this time is to set up a new routine. One of my friends, Roberto sent me some pictures of a mini golf course he set up in his front garden, and he said he would start doing that every morning – and that made sense to me. To make sense of this whole situation we have to do what will make sense for us. So during the day, we’ll allocate times to do specific tasks together, and the other time can be free time. A new way of thinking, a new way of life.

So as I sit on my bed tonight reflecting, I smile thinking about this new way of life – how I’ve been in lockdown today and I’ve had more meaningful engagements with people today than what I did last Saturday when I wasn’t in lockdown! People are reaching out to each other. I’ve had proper heartfelt conversations with my high school friends, previous classmates from university, colleagues who are also friends, friends from my Meetup group, my business partners who are also good friends, my two best friends, my brothers and my parents. I even had two group whatsapp calls today. I feel supported, I feel important, I feel connected, I feel loved. I feel like I am part of Gaia. It’s a good feeling, it is indeed.