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How to keep writing during lockdown and still be a good Mum
The little I know
I used to think of writing as an activity best done alone in a funky cafe with a great cup of coffee, maybe a slice of cake, and somewhere not so popular that I’d feel obliged to leave quickly once I saw a line forming for my table. It was easy to while away hours writing I don’t know what, mostly musings aimed maybe one day for publication, often writing so personal I had no plan to publish it anywhere anytime. It felt good. Now, I am trying to write more often, sit down every day, just write and hit publish, get into the habit. It still feels good, but nowhere near so easy.
This is because once I was single and care-free and had hours of time to fill. Now I have a toddler at home, in lockdown in Cuba, and my husband and I are exhausted and over 50.
So together with our toddler in Havana, we are living through a global pandemic and Cuba’s worst food shortages in 25 years and she is not allowed outside to avoid contagion (no kids on the street during lockdown in Cuba). She is 3 years old and loves to have me on the floor sitting and playing teatime and numerous other make-believe activities. As she does less running around than usual, she has more pent-up energy, naps less and I get little time to myself. It is wondrous, I am delighted with her, the love I feel for her…
