Cathy
Cathy has just set up her own sustainable floristry business during lockdown. She is also a sustainable energy advisor. She has two children who are in year 8 and year 10.
Cathy standing in the Kitchen by the wooden countertop and sink whilst making snacks.
Cathy preparing flowers at a gingham covered table.
“That first six weeks, or first months, in Lockdown, it just knocked me sideways as a mum.
I was at home with the kids and all of these needs coming at me, and ‘I can’t log on’ and ‘I’m hungry’ and ‘I can’t understand this’ and, you know, everyone being in pieces really. I just thought, gosh what would I have done if I’d have had a job at that time?
So my husband kind of wasn’t really affected, but I was running around like a maniac and trying to sort it all out, and I said to a friend, I said, ‘I just feel like I’ve been catapulted back into the 1950s!’. I am spending all my time chopping carrot sticks for snack time and, you know, baking bread because we can’t buy bread on a daily basis, and making soups and things for people’s lunches and trying to keep everybody happy. And I feel like I’ve gone from savvy female entrepreneur to a mixture of Maria from the Sound of Music, Mrs Beeton, Mr Motivator, and Miss Honey from Matilda!
But anyway, it’s just like oh my god, all these roles, and I was having to fulfil them whilst also over time replacing the social life of two teenage girls that had been totally cut off. I was desperately worried about everyone’s mental health… on the whole no one has gone into a black hole but it’s not been easy, and I definitely feel like I have been the lynchpin to that.”