Covid Fatigue even in the South of France

Mer du Rocher, Sauve, France

We have now been in our new “forever” home for 4 months and there is still much to do. Given Covid, everything takes longer, it’s harder to get workers booked, our regular routines of joyful living have been stressed thin with infrequent lunches, staying safe and not going to the open markets, not lingering to meet people and just chat about the day or meandering through villages. We talk to neighbors over the fence, say hello to the baker, and have gotten to know the postman and amazon deliver person well. As a result, we have had to change expectations and our daily routines of what we had thought daily life would be like. On the flipside, we are ever so grateful to be living in a beautiful area of the country with amazing countryside, mountains, and the sea nearby (although it has been too crowded to even go to the sea this year)! First, we are ever so grateful for our home and truly love it. It is the right size, the right shape, with a pool, garden, and beautiful scenery. It is our dream come true that we persevered for 10 years. The mornings are slow with a coffee, yoga, and a walk. A bit of work on administrative details to get resettled in France take a great deal of our time so far. Fall has come and the colors are golden, red, auburn and brightly shining in the french sunshine. The garden when we arrived was overgrown and needs care. Our plan to get it into shape will take another year, but it is on its way and we see it as a creative project! This month we are picking our olives from our 20 trees and learning how to make olives and crating many to the moulin to have them press into olive oil. A dream we all share in. I am working east coast hours from 2-10, Zoe-Pascale is studying online, and Jean is developing is therapy for health care workers and writing. In between, we talk, walk, hike, cook, and hangout watching Netflix.

Covid has given us time with our daughter, we would have never had in normal situations. We learn more about her and learn so much about the world she lives in as a GenZ. I have a Yoga partner, and she shares her favorite podcasts, music, and world views. Having her live in this new home has provided deeper roots for her as well exploring our new village and region, helping to design our new garden and making her favorite new food, Kim Chi. Our time together has been such a gift and surprise.

Below is a poem about In normal times we wouldn’t have…

In normal times, our daughter would not be living with us again and we would have missed out on her growth as a young woman
In normal times, we would have been traveling the world versus getting to know our home and land
In normal times, we would have been out in the world, meeting new people vs getting to know ourselves again
In normal times, we would never have the chance to take the time to make our house ours and take care in every decision
In normal times, we would have spent a lot more money on entertainment vs. save money to spend in more meaningful ways
In normal times, I would never have knitted my husband a sweater in 1 year — it would have taken two!
In normal times, I would never have been able to work virtually and spend so much time with my family
In normal times, I would also have never learned to have more patience, calmness, love, and compassion for my family and friends
In normal times, I would not have had such anxiety, fears, safety issues, and feelings of loneliness
In normal times, I would not have said everyday 5 things I am grateful for just to keep myself in balance
During this time, I am just ever so grateful our energy has been flowing and for what I can do during this time with good health