Today it feels endless. Please tell me to get a grip.

[Listener2021]

This is an emptu day. I call my family and they are too down to talk. They say, 'Nothing has changed. There's no news.'

I get it. I feel like I've died or am walking through treacle. Single mother, two kids. I'm desperate for time away from them. I mean days, not hours.

It is very boring, very slow.

We have made a lot of effort here to forcibly raise our spirits. It is a bit like being on permanent guide camp in our house now. I hate hate hate to admit it but we are all seeming to feel a lot better since putting ourselves on a spirits-raising regime. I am really not the sort of person to jolly myself up but I felt it was either that or just drift off into a half-dead state.

I’ve also had a day like this today. I don’t know if it’s a come down from the 3 days of warmish sunny weather we just had, it was drizzly and 4 degrees again today and it definitely impacts my mood. Walking through treacle is a great analogy this is exactly how it feels. I can feel my maternity leave slipping away day by day I am desperately clinging onto the hope of at least a couple of months of “normal” or even “normalish”

DDs boyfriend of 4 years dumped her on Valentine's day. I can't give her a hug. Don't know when I will see her or ds again, or my mum. Moan moan moan.

Walking through treacle, yes, or one of those slow dreams when everything is heavy.

Thank you for replying. The loneliness is deathly.

The loneliness is deathly.

Agree with this.

I spent the fifteen years before covid trying to get away from people, used to get grumpy if a wedding invite arrived!

I feel for you.
I've found it very hard here too.

I am not going to tell you to get a grip, OP. It's hard to cling on. We know the end is in sight but we just can't feel it or touch it yet. Be kind to yourself. If you can't be arsed to do much tomorrow so be it.

@GettingUntrapped - I hear you. I have been working from home mostly, and have DD and DH at home sine first lockdown. DH was sadly made redundant. I love them both to bits but I am crying out for some time to myself. I saw a Mother's Day card the other day which said my mum - hobbies include silence and going to the toilet by myself. I know just how she feels.

How do bubbles work? DD is now living alone in London. About 3 hours away. Is it legal to catch a train to see her, if we stayed outside? After the 8th, could I do that?

@Listener2021

How do bubbles work? DD is now living alone in London. About 3 hours away. Is it legal to catch a train to see her, if we stayed outside? After the 8th, could I do that?

You can form a linked household with anyone living alone :) It's recommended to be local but that isn't law and so technically could be on the other side of the country. If you were able to drive that would obviously be better, but it's certainly not illegal.

Official guidance from gov.uk

Once you’re in a support bubble, you can think of yourself as being in one ‘household’. It means you can have close contact with the other household in your bubble as if they were members of your own household. This means you do not need to maintain social distance with people in your support bubble.

You should continue to follow social distancing guidance with people outside of your household or support bubble. This is critical to keeping you, your family and friends as safe as possible.

If you form a support bubble, it is best if this is with a household who live locally. This will help prevent the virus spreading from an area where more people are infected.

Thank you. You are really kind.
I hear what you are saying, but I don't think I could drive to London and back in a day, it's four hours plus each way, faster by train. I don't like to hear her crying on the phone though. I'd just like to see her.

We could be really careful and I've been vaccinated and DH and I see no one at all here, so I wouldn't go down risking infecting anyone. I wouldn't go into her house. She sounds so desolate.
This is a horrible time for young people.

Thank you all. I hope tomorrow is a better day.

Form a bubble with your DD, you have every right to if either you or she are in a single adult household.

It is not against the law to travel, I have been travelling to see my brothers family in London since bubbles were allowed, as I am a single parent, and they have been travelling to see me.

It makes a massive difference to my ability to cope and improves my mood for weeks after a visit.

Just do it. Sounds like your Dd needs you and you need her and is NOT against guidance.

You can also stay overnight if she has room as you say the drive is long, or she can come to yours and stay overnight.

I regularly stay overnight at my brothers and he at mine.

Vintagevixen

Thank you, thank you. I didn't know it was allowed, so far away. I thought I'd get stopped at the station. Just knowing it's possible has reduced me to tears.

It must be hard being a single parent through this. I'm so glad you are able to see your brother's family. I think one of the worst things about this pandemic is that people can't look after each other.

Thank you.

I have been up and down on the trains from the south coast to London during lockdown 1 (dropping off DD to her dads for visitation before bubbles allowed), lockdown 2 and 3 and have never been stopped or checked once.

The guidance just says local is "advised" but it's not compulsory, I mean how many of us live locally to our family nowadays?

Bubbles were permitted for this express reason that being a single adult household was very lovely, they did it to acknowledge and try and alleviate the kind of mental stress your DD is going through. That is their purpose.

You are not breaking any guidelines by doing it.

*lonely not lovely!

Joining in to say you're allowed to stay overnight with your bubble. Local is recommended but traveling to see your bubble is allowed the same way traveling for work is allowed.

I'm feeling low today as well after feeling brighter at the weekend. Just need a proper break and to let my hair down. Even schools going back doesn't feel enough somehow. I am desperate for it, though torn as our school has been touched by tragedy so hard to feel jubilant about sending them back in.

I have consumed an entire bag of Yorkshire Mints. That has helped.

Lol kitten. I have had crisps and wine. You seem very wholesome from here

I chugged them down with a bottle of sav blanc, if that helps. 😂

Sauv! (Too drunk to type) and it’s only Monday....😉

I really feel for you and your daughter. Just go and see her.

Go and stay with your daughter x

Go and see her and book a travelodge so you can spend a weekend with her. You don’t have to wait until the 8th. Rooms are super cheap at the moment! You can stay in hotels for essential reasons and seeing your support bubble is a valid reason for travelling.