Predictable but precious

Today I went about my day as planned. Morning call to my mum over coffee, work out, tidying finished, lunch etc etc.  Everything was fine and normal for lockdown. Until I found an article on Pizza Express sharing their pizza recipe for its loya customers. And something  in me shuddered.

Last time I was in Pizza Express was with my mum, we were ordering some takeaway pizzas to take back to our home from home at Cheval. It's one of the things we do when in London. Sometimes we'll have a glass of wine while we wait. It has very much become part of our London Ritual along with a fry up in Cote, a visit or two to Harrods toy department, a Shavata eyebrow appointment, a delicious curry...

But today is different. Now I don't know when we will next be able to do that. I don't know when I will next be in London. I don't even know when I will next see my mum and dad. We speak everyday and Facetime most but that is a real poor second to being in each other's company. That's hard. That's one of the worse things about Covid 19. It has made planning of any sort absolutely pointless. It has reminded us we are very much NOT in control. I would have been in Valencia now on holiday with the girls. I wouldn't need to call my mum we'd be chatting over coffee way into the morning. Then she would cook all the family favourite meals, my dad would buy the girls all their favourite foods.  They'd sneak off every morning with him to buy the "paper" but somehow that includes some other treats. We'd visit Valencia, my dad's village and our favourite restaurant, family would pop by too. It would be a totally predictable holiday but a good one.

Next time we are together I'm going to remember this uncertainty. I'm going to remember to smile more, relax my rules, let the girls be indulged by their grandparents, I'm going to be more patient, I'm going to go with the flow. I'm going to laugh more and moan less and I am never, ever, ever going to take another visit for granted. EVER.