Dear LPG,

I had my first Covid-19 vaccination yesterday and I know that it will take a while to be fully effective, and that I don’t even know when I will get the second half.  As expected it left me with a bit of pain in my arm but I now also feel that being able to get out myself could be a bit nearer and I can’t wait!

I found myself thinking about what I have missed the most while being shut away from the rest of the world and I have come to this conclusion.

You might say that, although I did not realise it when I was having them, providence allowed me to have quite a few children during my childbearing years, and the more you have, the more likely it will be that one or two don’t reside too far away. The law of averages also suggests that they do come in handy during a pandemic where you find yourself locked down.

Yes, I think that I am one of the lucky ones because although I have not been able to get out very much or give any of my little ones, or their little ones, a good old fashioned hug for what seems like forever, they regularly phone and turn up at the door with supplies of food for me.  But they won’t come in for obvious reasons, so the bell will ring and when I open the door, I usually find a bag or two of groceries stood outside, and a smiling young member of my family waving from the gate, well I say smiling but you can’t really tell from behind the mask.  I know that this is becoming the norm for many older people with children who don’t live too far away.

But, according to them I am sometimes ungrateful so I have stopped telling them that they never quite bring the right things and even though they phone and ask what I want in advance, they seem to have very different grocery shopping ideas to me.  The other thing is that I find that my three children and seven grandchildren who are able, seem to think that I need the same things, so I am suffering with loads more of some items than I need and not wanting to cause offence, life has taught me to accept everything graciously.

One thing that they seem to think I really need is toilet paper and I now have so much that, when staying at home is all over I will be able to open a specialist shop of my own.  I am going to have to try to tell them again aren’t I?

I want to say that I am not complaining really and I love them all, but I wonder how many other readers have found themselves in my situation lately?  I just want you to know that you are not alone…

LK, Downham