Pondering on the Covid-19 and how it has affected those around me and it is interesting how everyone is coping with this remarkable time and whether having a friendship group is maybe helping us to push through it.
I think age is relevant, if you have children and whether you are having to home school them, whether you enjoy time on your own and whether you can live simply enough and find enjoyment in it.
We have a girls group called the HAWS. It is supposed to be Health and Wealth Sisters but we often laugh hysterically when people hear us say we are HAWS when we are all 60, all blondy/grey, all wearing glasses and all carrying just a few extra kilos. They must think times are tough for some guys.
We have all said it is a reprieve from the world and a chance to jump off the merry go round. We fully realise people are losing their homes and businesses and family which is horrendous, and we realise we are lucky and this is not about the tragedy of the virus, its about the way in which we are dealing with it.
I still have work. I realise I am lucky and I am just grateful I set up to work from Rainbow Beach a year ago, found a lovely tenant for my home on the Sunny Coast and have two sons who are actually managing well doing their own thing, so my life has really been unchanged by the virus.
I have also started the Essential Box Co as a buffer and because I love the fact the local area has some fabulously clever locals who are creating their own products and wanted to showcase them. I also have my skin care range which is very very exciting so I am keeping busy playing with that and looking at new products all the time.
One of the other HAWS has full time work and is super busy in her job as she looks after payroll, she is doing all the paperwork to ensure everyone is looked after with Job Keeper so she is a bit stressed – she is in Gympie. She also has a parent in a local nursing home so is not without worry.
Two more of the HAWS have lost their part time jobs but have managed to get Job Seeker payments, so that is covering their costs for now and they are both keen to resume work when they are allowed – one lives in Buderim and one in Pomona.
One has horses and a cottage industry she and her husband run from home so they have ramped that up for cash flow and as people are looking for more local made produce, they are doing okay.
The last of the HAWS lives in the Maleny area and while she is usually a volunteer, she is spending her time writing novels in her mountain top escape which is lined with books and art and all her souvenirs from her travels.
We joined up when one of our group was going through a terrible personal tragedy and needed support. We all came together for a night, became flooded in and couldn’t get home, so we spent the first of many week-ends together.
Each of the HAWS are unique but similar, and while the underlying connection is love, honesty and support, our time together is usually filled with laughter and digging each other in the virtual ribs.
One of the the things we are all looking forward to is having another ‘gatho; when the rules are relaxed. None of us drink any more, and only one smokes a little but is trying to quit, but we do love long walks, good food and hilarious repartee.
Sounds boring but it is so comfortable and fun and each attempts to outdo each other so you can’t have a civil conversation until day two when everyone starts actually listening and I feel so blessed to have them in my life as I know it is what has helped me so many times over the years – the unconditional support.
For reasons of privacy I can’t show you the HAWS faces, however if you see five blonde buxom beauties laughing loudly and sighing while eating at Rainbow in a couple of months, say hello as it could be us.
Thank you HAWS and thank you ladies for reading and I do hope you all find the support you need too and i would love to hear your stories.
