I work full-time with Road Traffic Accident Law (Scotland) LLP (RTALS) and continue to do so through this global crisis.
Although this daily routine is mostly familiar to me, almost every other aspect of my life, alongside the entire country, has been turned on its head.
Time out of work in my home environment has become intense and at a time when so many of us are indoors, we are very much looking outwards in terms of what we can offer others. My colleagues at RTALS and I have registered for various volunteering hubs, national and local, and I’m taking time to keep in touch and offer support to my neighbours, both elderly and otherwise.
On top of that, I have a daughter of primary school age and, like millions of parents everywhere, have now found myself thrown into the unfamiliar world of home schooling.
Life is tough enough with all the uncertainty and bearing the weight of a constant cloak of anxiety but keeping up a – dare I suggest normal – happy disposition in front of children is yet another example of where parents and families are having to dig deep.
Not surprisingly, in a surge of solidarity and altruism, there is huge communal support through online platforms and social media. We have schools mustering to produce online learning support, we have kind individuals publishing free resources online, and of course let’s not fail to mention Joe Wicks getting the UK kids out of their beds and keeping them active. How wonderful, thank you all.
For me, I am now juggling full-time work and trying to both educate and entertain a homebound child. There have been tears and laughter and not always enough times tables and long division. And, don’t get me started on trying to teach violin when you can’t play yourself!
So, what else is helping me and my little family? Rainbows. Yes, you read that right, rainbows.
Rainbows, not just a weather phenomenon, but synonymous with hope and tolerance across the world now for years. It is rainbows that are now giving families a break from the four walls of their boarding schools!
For those of you unfamiliar with the rainbow eye-spy that’s happening right now in your street, children everywhere have been creating rainbows and putting them in their windows. Families are now going for their daily exercise, walking around their streets, villages and towns spying, and counting, rainbows!
These rainbow-hunts give everyone, young and old, respite from being indoors. Families can walk or cycle, scooter or push buggies – it’s open to all.
So, I would encourage you, whether you have children or not, to get out some pens, highlighters, food-colouring or left-over paint in the shed and paint a rainbow for your window. Watch the children’s faces as they spy it. Wave and smile. If you’re self-isolating, believe me, it will cheer you up.
For those of you cycling every day, fantastic, keep it up! You too could deviate from your normal route, through a housing estate, or into a residential street, and spot the rainbows. Give a wave and a smile if you see a little face behind the glass.
And, although we all know a rainbow often brings rain, we also know that there will be sunshine and happy times on the other side.
Fiona