Well after a horrible week with this nasty coronavirus I finally started to feel better, only to be hit with a second wave of it. So I am now having to have another week of isolation as I recover again.

My Val has been absolutely amazing in looking after me, from a distance, and making sure I have everything I need. I know it must be really difficult having someone in the house with the virus to care for without contracting it herself but she hasn't once complained. She is simply fantastic and I can't wait to get out of my isolation and be able to have a movie night with her, in the same room!

I have been absolutely blown away by all your emails, messages on the Messenger Newspaper online and on my social media. It really does mean a lot to me and I am very grateful to each one of you who have taken the time to get in touch.

Being isolated can be a horrible experience if you allow your mind to treat it as some kind of punishment. Instead I'm trying to look on the positive side and I now have a lot of time to do things that I am interested in. I am writing a lot, I've recorded some monologues for my acting and when my breathing is back to normal I intend to record some songs that I have been busy learning the lyrics to. I think it's important for our sanity to keep ourselves busy.

My time being isolated has reminded me of an old story that is set in ancient times. A King had a boulder placed in the middle of a roadway. He then hid himself and watched to see if anyone would move the boulder out of the way. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it.

Many people loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none of them did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

A peasant then came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to push the stone out of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded.

After the peasant went back to pick up his vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King explaining that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. This story reminds me that every obstacle that we come across in life gives us an opportunity to improve our circumstances, and whilst some will complain about it, others will use this time to create opportunities for themselves and to help others through their kind hearts, generosity, and their willingness to get things done.

I'm keeping in sight that this will all be over before we know it and we can look back on what we've achieved on our own and together as a community during this terrible obstacle in our lives.If you're feeling lonely send me an email at devlinbookings@aol.com and I'll email you back. Trafford is one big family and you are not alone.