A blast of positivity stops my lockdown wobble

There was a moment when we went into lockdown again when I had a bit of a wobble, but I woman’d up, grew a pair of ovaries and did a quick ring round my kids to reassure them. Youngest: “Mother, hello! Can’t speak now. Just going to work. Still open for takeaways, see ya, wouldn’t wanna be ya, love you, bye.” Chirpy.

I try Middle next, furloughed again from the climbing centre – he might need cheering up.

“Hey ma, how’s it going? I’m just rearranging my flat, tidying up, making the best use of the space and it’s looking really good.”

Me: “Tidying? Really? Are you feeling OK?” Middle: “I’m feeling just grand. Are you?” “Yes! Well... to be honest I’m maybe a wee bit down about lockdown again. Which is ridiculous when other people are putting their lives on the line every day, people have died, and we’ve been so lucky.”

Middle: “It won’t be for long, don’t worry. It’s all for the best – keeping safe. And this time round there’s a vaccine coming. And you’ll be further up the queue ‘ cos of your age, ha, ha.” Me: “Oh yes.”

Middle: “Go and watch that Billy Connolly documentary where he’s in the Arctic, it’s brilliant. And you can come and watch me spray paint again soon. Yes, on a legal wall.”

Me: “Aw, nice. You’re right.” Middle: “Good. Love you, bye. Oh, why don’t you give Eldest a call, see what he’s up to? And call me again if you need to talk.”

That’s my line, what just happened? I call

Eldest next – he might need a bit of emotional lifejacketing. He lost both his jobs last lockdown.

Me: “How’s it going with... everything?” Eldest: “Great. Staying in. Practising music, catching up on admin, looking for jobs online, sawing up the Christmas tree.”

Me: “That’s the way.”

Eldest: “Yup. Do stuff, keep busy, stay safe. Love you, bye.”

Which is when I find the pizza restaurant voucher my brother and his wife sent us LAST Christmas, in the bottom of the decorations box, carefully sellotaped ( by me, duh) to the back of their card. The one I’ve spent all year feeling guilty about losing in the Covid house move. Yay! And this year, thanks to Covid, I appreciate everything twice as much.