Let’s do this well together!

“ Cast all your anxiety on HIm, because He cares for you” 1st Peter Ch.5 v.7

What’s your dress code for cocooning? It’s very tempting to stay in pyjamas if we aren’t going out and no-one is going to visit, and whilst I am all in favour of a pyjama day now and then, it keeps up an appearance of normality if we maintain our daily routine of getting dressed.

I looked at what is hanging in my wardrobe yesterday and wondered when I will ever wear my ‘smart’ clothes again. For now, I’m happy to be in comfy jeans and trousers and cosy jumpers. But now and again, as this period of social distancing stretches ahead, it might be good to lift our spirits by getting dressed up as if we were heading out to visit friends. It will be a reminder of how lovely it is to anticipate happy social occasions and a boost for self-esteem when we look in the mirror and see how well we scrub up! Social gatherings will happen again. We will have family gatherings and meet friends for coffee and even go to weddings, and to church and clubs and restaurants.

It might not be a bad idea for some of us to remember those days will come again and if we eat the amount of chocolate and comfort food we are indulging in right now, the smart clothes won’t fit and we will stand in front of our wardrobes sobbing “I’ve nothing to wear”.

Our clothing problems are trivial though, compared to those on the front line of the NHS who cannot get proper protective clothing. It was heartening to hear yesterday that O’Neills sports clothing which is very prominent here in Ireland are now making hospital ‘scrubs’ rather than laying off their machinists. On television today, it was reported that the factory producing Dior perfume is now making hand sanitiser instead!

Society is changing its priorities and this is displayed in all aspects of our communal and individual lives. I pray that we will maintain selfless values ahead of selfish, when this is all over.