We were having a late breakfast this morning when the 'phone rang. We don't get many calls these days as we tend to use email or Messenger.
P answered it as I am not very good on the 'phone, even with a specially adapted one.
He was gone for ages. After 10 minutes I reheated his coffee and toast in the microwave and took it in to him. Whoever was on the other end seemed to be doing a lot of talking.
After half an hour the call finished. P said that it was from my uncle in Sydney. He is my mother's older brother, 85 years old, registered blind and recovering from recent heart surgery.
He and my aunt emigrated to Australia in the early 1960s and we have always kept in touch. I used to write regularly as a child and maintained correspondence with him through my adult life. He retains some residual sight so I can still send him emails in extra large font which he reads on a 2ft screen attached to his laptop.
He said that with all the current turmoil going on he just wanted to call and speak to those people he cared about most. His family.
As Rachel so aptly commented earlier on another blog, we are all thinking about those we love and that love us.
It's so hard isn't it to be separated from those that we love, especially when people are so worried and frightened. Sending good wishes to you and your family and to all of us who care for others.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sally. Good wishes to you and yours too.
DeleteI got a great feeling of 'we are all in this together' when I stood
ReplyDeleteon the doorstep and applauded the NHS the other night - I found the sound of applause so heartening. We are indeed all in this together.
It was indeed quite moving. Although we are in a remote area we still joined in, not that anyone could have heard us.
DeleteI'm very conscious of this having friends and Family in New Zealand and scattered throughout Britain and elsewhere. At the moment all we can do is let people know that they are in our hearts and minds.
ReplyDeleteThat seems to be happening all over. It has brought many people closer together even though they are physically separated.
DeleteThank goodness for emails and telephones. It used to take 2 weeks for a letter to reach NZ from Greece and phone calls were just for an emergency. When I did call home I often forgot the time difference and rang at 4am, their time.
ReplyDeleteThat was wonderful your Uncle could reach out like that
Oh gosh yes. It used to take ages for our letters to cross back and forth, and remembering to put an Air Mail sticker on the envelope so that it didn't go by sea!
DeleteI just spoke with my son and daughter on the telephone. Your uncle is right. More than ever we need to stay in touch with our best friends and loved ones. 260 dead in Britain since yesterday. We are fast catching up with Italy and Spain. Another beer please!
ReplyDeleteI hope your son and daughter are safe and well. It is alarming that the numbers aee rising so quickly, although many more could have it but will not have been identified by testing.
DeleteI have a bottle of cheap fizz in the fridge for later. It calms the nerves.
Thank you Jaycee. Indeed all you say is true and the comments others have made. Stay safe indoors and in the garden.
ReplyDeleteAnd to you Rachel.
DeleteWe are so lucky to be able to communicate in the twenty first century via the internet and via phone.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine how we would cope with this situation without it.
DeleteYes, I echo the other commenters. It's a comfort to talk to my lot on facetime and have a laugh together. It would seem that we are in for at least another 3 weeks, even I will be climbing the walls by then. lol
ReplyDeleteBriony
x
My other half is already at that stage!
DeleteWhy not write him a letter too. I used to correspond with an auntg and uncle in Aden. I used to enjoy writing them, and getting one back was even better.
ReplyDeleteSadly his vision is now so poor he would be unable to read a letter. He can manage size 16 font in an email on his screen but I am not sure how much paper I would need to write text that large.
DeleteWe have just completed two weeks of self isolation and I am still sane! Not running out of things to do yet. At least we are allowed out for exercise or to shop, thank goodness!
ReplyDeleteThat's good to hear. We can all get through this if we think positive!
DeleteHow lovely that was of him! I hope you're not going stir crazy?
ReplyDeletexxx