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Thank goodness for Rainbows! 22 May 2020 Rainbows bring colour and cheer to local glass artist Ros Duffy during lockdown

Life with covid 19 and the lockdown has affected us all in so many different ways. For me it’s personally been quite a painful rollercoaster.

I lost my beautiful Mum in April this year. She was in a nursing home due to having a fall in September last year and breaking her hip. Even though she was in hospital until mid-December, her Parkinson’s wouldn’t let her gain back her mobility and she would not be able to return home as she needed two people to care for her.  She made the best of it, but and we visited often and then Covid-19 and the lockdown happened. Mum was so used to having her family around her and not being able to see her took its toll on her.   We were allowed to visit and I stayed over for the last two nights of her life.  I am so glad she didn’t die on her own.  Even though I am not sure she knew I was there or my sister on the second night.

Unfortunately, a few days after Mum passed I developed symptoms of Covid-19.  I had had a productive cough for quite some time, but no temperature. I now had a temperature, very fatigued, aching all over, especially my legs, headaches, sore eyes and no energy.  I was lucky as I only had one occasion when I struggled to breathe quite badly, but this happened only for a few minutes. I had contacted 111 online a couple of days before as I was coughing up blood and was given antibiotics. My husband is a key worker so we all ended up having a covid-test and my husband and I were tested positive.  He was symptom free and I was very ill, but so lucky not to have been hospitalised.

This brings me to rainbows!  This seems to be the symbol of hope in the Community and being a glass artist I thought they’d be pretty stunning in glass and now I’m better I have had my World full of rainbows with commissions for fur babies lost as well as thank you rainbows.

One particular memorial commission touched my heart and that was of a labrador surf therapy dog called Haole. He lived across the pond and throughout his life he helped a lot of children with disabilities to have fun on the beach and in the water.  He also battled cancer and did prevail for a while, but sadly it eventually took him at the beginning of May this month.  I was commissioned to make a rainbow bridge with a paw print and his name on it.  With every memorial commission whether human or animal, I like to know a little something about them and if possible a photograph. It helps me get along with making them.  We all dearly love our fur members of our families and their loss is felt very strongly, having lost two labradors I know how this feels and it is truly hard to come to terms with their loss.  Something about Haole’s story pulled at my heart that I had to make him something from me whether it be used to auction to get A Walk on Water more funds or whether they want to keep it is entirely up to them, but I decided to make him a rainbow surfboard with his name on it with a paw print and heart. Both will be posted today to the USA.

Other rainbows I am working on are “Thank you” rainbows to those who made a huge difference to my Mum’s life.  People like Bab’s and Chrissy at Hilltop Garden Centre in Hailey.  They loved Mum, they always talked to her and came up and gave her a kiss and cuddle and made her laugh.  The Elms Day Centre in Witney where she enjoyed her couple of days a week with staff who truly cared and loved her.  The Manager of her Care Home helped us so much with trying to get Mum used to her new way of life and even caring for her herself when needed. And then of course there’s the NHS, how could I not make one for our own doctor’s surgery, they haven’t had it yet so shhhh!  I will also be making one for her Parkinson’s consultant, Dr. Singh, as he was so good with Mum and she enjoyed seeing him.  My sister’s will be getting one as we have all kept each other going through this difficult time. Not able to meet up, but with Zoom meetings and the telephone obviously!

I hope you like the rainbows. Something cheerful and colourful.

Take care and keep safe!

Ros – Art of Glass Oxford