Anyone who knows me is aware that I like children.
On my daily walks I have come across what appears to be a lovely nuclear family who live just a block away. From the time I first saw them we have shared smiles and waves as I cross to the other side of the street.
Two days ago I walked their way and saw the boy and the girl on the pavement outside their home. Of course we waved and smiled. Then the girl said to me "we are building an obstacle course."
The garage door was open and inside were rope ladders attached to poles, a swing, some hoops. Mom stood outside tugging at some object she was obviously going to set up inside.
I smiled and said something like 'this is lovely,' and the little girl said to me, "before the corona came we used to go to a gym."
That sentence broke my heart - which seems to be easily broken these days. I looked at mom and said "oh my goodness, before the corona came" and we smiled wanly at each other. Dad came outside and I continued on my way, waving bye, and dad said "we'll be here tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day.
They are 5 and 7 years of age respectively. Old enough to have strong solid memories of the world "before the corona came." Their worlds have changed as drastically and as irrevocably as all of our worlds have changed.
We all know of the world 'before the corona came' but none of us are aware of what the world will be like afterward - if there ever is an afterward .......
4 comments:
Nesta, it makes me so sad when I think of the childhood my children and I had. The future will be so different for children like these two. It will probably never be as it was post corona. It is heartbreaking!
Nesta, I too wonder what the effects will be for all ages of younger folks, children, adolescents, young college kids or those who are trying to launch themselves into a world that has so drastically changed. We have lived in such challenging times even before Covid, it's hard to imagine what the future will bring for these younger generations. I only take hope from the strength of past generations who faced quite dire circumstances and made it through some how. Many days I am grateful to be in the phase of life where the challenges of "old age" seem less daunting than they may have seemed only a few months ago, compared with what so many are faced with now. None of us is getting off easily on this one, though, I think. My ramblings for the day!
Oh, I followed a link saying go to web page, and now there is hope my comment will register, as I see my google Acct name.
Yes, children feel the sudden change and the places, activities and people that are now out of reach. Differences named and unnamed are immense for them, too. Thank you for focusing on them, Nesta.
This is sad, I wonder how things will turn out for the little person at my house.
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