31908: Looking for the silver linings

Far too much evening and weekend working supporting staff from across the Medical Sciences Division in moving their teaching online - despite the frantic pace of work, there is a monotony to work and life, often lived through Teams or Zoom.

However:

- we have enough space for my wife and I, and our four children to work, each in our own space;

- the ethical broadband we have is just about holding up;

- we are all well and everyone we know is fine;

- we have a garden;

- the weather's been lovely and the days are long enough that there's still plenty of light and warmth in the day after work;

- and my son is still over the moon at not having to sit GCSEs.

The high point of every day is taking the dog for a walk on Port Meadow and in Burgess Field with one or more children - really appreciating the opportunity to notice nature and the seasons in a way that I haven't done since I was a child, and the extra time with our children, particularly the youngest, who comes with me on most walks.

Weekends without adult or child activities now yield time for board games, kitchen table tennis, making elderflower cordial, family artworks, reading, etc...as well as the fighting, screaming, tears and laughter that are inevitable when a family of six spend so long together in the same space.