Gransnetters share what lockdown has made them feel grateful for with McCarthy & Stone

Lockdown has made me feel grateful for ordinary - being able to go out when and where I want. Visiting my family and them visiting me. Shopping, walking just doing everyday normal things. I didn't have much to worry about but now I do worry more.

I am grateful for my employers making it so I am able to work from home - it's stopped me fretting too much and kept my salary being paid. I am also grateful to live where I do with a supportive community growing even stronger and to have wonderful friends who've all pulled together to support each other.

My dog, I think I would have got very “down” without him. He gave me a reason to do a big walk every day and was great company as I worked from home. He never got tired of giving cuddles.

My neighbour has three young children who during lockdown could have driven me to distraction with weeks of noise, arguments, music and trampoline bouncing. However they have been fantastic! Their laughter and happiness in simple games and activities and their kindness to each other has been heartwarming. It is a pleasure to see and hear them enjoying each day. I am grateful to their single mum who has been so patient and inventive with them and making it a pleasure for me to live next door to such a lovely family.

Grateful and thankful for the local GPs who have been helpful and proactive despite everything they are going through.

As well as my wonderful family and friends I am also very grateful to the www and Zoom which has been a lifesaver.

My two fellowships and other activities have moved online. I am really grateful to have access to these services.

Anyone with any shares in zoom would also be grateful now as they have made a bomb off Covid19 ?

My whole family, each in their own homes, are ever so grateful for my son Christopher. Whilst all of us were cowering at home , scared stiff we'd catch the virus, he was out doing long hours at work in an essential job, risking his health+life, then running endless errands for each and every one of us he kept us fed, ran to the shops, the doctors, got the prescriptions, took me to vital health appointments, and not a word of thanks from his employer, and no money/ compensation either......,Also thankful for my smartphone, as my laptop died on me a year ago, I've kept busy entering competitions, and won a few welcome prizes,. ...........Cheers!

I am grateful that I was able to spend quality time with my family, at home and on zoom. I'm also grateful to my employer and the government for the furlough scheme - I have enjoyed relaxing at home, crafting and baking. It's been a welcome break from the daily commute!

Lockdown has made me grateful for my garden, and for my cats and partner. I am also grateful for my friends, who have kept me sane with their phone calls!

Thank you to my friends, always checking in

My allotment, the internet, my sons and their families, birdsong and smiles from strangers have all been precious during this tricky time.

i'm gratefulthat my health is good and i've built a wild life pond in my garden, and with all the birds i can sit and watch in tranquility
i'm grateful i live in a village, so my walks in lockdown took me by the fields and by the brook which runs through our village.
i'm grateful of all those people out there willing to help at this awful time.
most of all i'm grateful to my wife of 42 years. she has been on furlough for the last 4 months so we have been under each others feet, so she is a saint for putting up with me constantly, and yes we never argue and no divorce on the horizon.

I am grateful for my garden and mostly good weather. I have been able to keep active and healthy

I am so grateful that I had pre paid and booked a supermarket slot as I am shopping for my MIL and elderly neighbours at present. A big thanks to all those delivery people out there!

I am so grateful to my shibashi students who have stuck with me throughout, tuning in to live classes on FB. It really motivates me when I know they have been keeping healthy and moving.

I am so very grateful to the team at the Sue Ryder hospice who took such amazing care of my 93 year old mother during the final days of her life. She died on April 24th- I wasn’t able to visit
her but everyday they contacted me and I was able to have a lovely final conversation with her before she slipped away 3 days later. I know she passed away peacefully, without worry or pain- they held her hand while she died and they provided much needed bereavement counselling for me following her death.
Thank you so much to them.
❤️❤️❤️

I think more than anything this lockdown has made me even more grateful for family and friends. It has also made me very grateful for technology, without which I would not have been able to see my two children, one lives and works in London and the other lives and works in Devon (I'm in Merseyside). It has made me realise that "objects and possessions" really mean nothing without family and friends to share them with

I am grateful for the sunny weather. We have had days now of rain and it does get you down, so the weeks of sunshine that keeps us in a brighter mood, have longer walks with beloved dogs and to sit in our gardens, if we are lucky enough to have one of course.
Also to the kindness of some of my friends who kept in touch that little more often knowing I was in lockdown on my own. Thank you so much.

My son lives and works on the other side of the world and sadly we cannot meet up this year. He now has a lovely Russian fiancé and I am so grateful for her. She keeps me updated with their day to day life, sending me little messages and photos. This week they have been flat hunting and I received a video of their new apartment. It is wonderful to be included in this way and really helps to close the miles between us.

So grateful for having small groups of friends, our daily messaging has kept me sane during this time. Also big thanks to all the delivery drivers, online shopping occupied me for hours then it was lovely to have my package delivered by a friendly face. Taking up online yoga was a big boost so thanks to my lovely yoga teacher Lisa Seretny and my friend Allison for recommending her. Definitely something I will keep going now things are returning to normal.

I'm grateful for the cheery volunteer who delivers my prescriptions. Always has a smile on his face. Also I have the forest on my doorstep, and have been exploring a lot more then I would have done before the pandemic.

I' would single out a young lady from the church who calls every week to ask me if I need any shopping. So kind.

I have learnt to appreciate nature around me and giving my grandchildren a hug!

I'm looking forward to going anywhere I like without a face mask and not have to worry about this awful virus.

I am grateful that people have been kinder and shown more respect to those in keyworker positions and our wonderful NHS, and that greater numbers of the population are understanding that we need to look after our planet far better if we are all to have a future.

Living in a lovely area (Cumbria) and being able to get out and walk from the house was fantastic during lockdown, then as restrictions eased we had the Lake District practically to ourselves for a few weeks. What could be better?
Immense gratitude to NHS and all frontline workers for continuing to labour during difficult conditions (and I include supermarkets and delivery staff in that).

Lockdown hasn't really affected us, as we see very few people at any time.

It's nice to be able to shop in less crowded shops and not to be pushed in the queue at the cash desk.

Otherwise things have been more or less normal all the time.

My life