It’s not often I post pictures of me in my PJs but this image captures something important. Taken with my partner during lockdown week 6 on the eve of our new floors getting installed (now we’re in level 3).

Even though we love each other and have faired well in lock down by week 6 we were tired and the expected consequences of spending 24 hours a day together for 6 weeks had started to show. Sharper tones, less tolerance, a need for space. Busy with work commitments, reorganising life post lock down and shifting furniture into the garage had left us further weary.

We were not dressed for dinner, preferring the comfy pants lock down has allowed. No make up or polish – we were there as we are, simple, just us. I was weary my PJs which to be fair have become my lock down uniform, especially at the weekends!

We sat on the floor eating our Sunday roast chicken dinner sharing a wine, chatting and reconnecting. I looked around me and there was nothing. No home comforts, no furniture, no possessions no things. The room was empty, sparse and yet an odd realisation dawned.

Sat in this room with nothing I had in fact got everything. Good food, good company, my loved ones (the dog was also sat with us). These are the things that matter and in a room full of nothing we can still have everything we need.

There’s plenty we’ve missed and had to go without, adjusting our life during lock down but with this has come perspective about what matters. The busyness lives we had, the many things we needed to have and do. Lock down has given us many lessons and along with them a perspective on what we really need to survive, the things that matter most to us and an opportunity to keep this front of mind as we return to a new normal.

Lockdown and this global pandemic has given us perspective on some of this as we were forced to alter our daily life dramatically. This kind of perspective often gives insight into what really matters and all that we’re lucky to have.