Jess's Letter

To Mum & Dad,

I hope you’re sitting somewhere comfortable while reading this. Maybe you’re both outside, breathing in the fresh, clean air. I hope it tastes good. How is the wildflower meadow in the commons? Are there others like it now, in other fields, bringing back some of the wildflower meadows that once covered the Cotswolds? Have you managed to replicate something similar in the field below the house yet? I know we had wild marjoram and the first cowslips only this year, but I hope that 7 years from now it’s flourishing, and that maybe, just maybe, the shocking purple-pink of orchids have started to grace the springtimes. Have you noticed any new butterflies? Please send me photos, I’d love to take a guess at what they are.

What’s the view like today? Are there windmills gently tilting in the distance? The gleam of more solar panels across the valley? Is it hot? Is it wet? I hope that whatever weather the day holds you can face it with enjoyment. I hope that when the rain comes, no matter how heavy, you can lift your face into the droplets with a smile, or that Dad can run around like a mad thing shirtless and whooping in the rain like he sometimes does in the summer. I hope you can feel that joy fully, because you know that no matter how hard it rains the wetlands are managed beautifully and will help absorb what falls, there are the right kinds of trees and plants on the hills to help drink it all up and slow the flow, and that the beavers are knowledgeable little workers who understand how to help the river go where it needs. If it gets hot, I hope you feel prepared, knowing that those extra awnings or shutters were worth the hassle and that the government stepped up and the local community came together to imagine new ways of storing water so you never had to fear it running out.

I hope that you are still adventurous and waste-conscious with your cooking, not having to worry about food shortages because the government finally listened and now the farmland in the area is all beginning to be farmed regeneratively and sustainably, and the farmers are paid well to keep it that way. I hope that your days are filled with work that you love doing. Maybe you’re even getting by without a car, using the regular and cheap buses and trains, after the government hopefully realised that they should stop subsidising airlines and put money into the rail network and electric buses instead. More than anything though, I hope that you’re happy. I know that if you’re happy, my future self will be happy, and that maybe we’re all working together to create the future we want. Maybe I’ll come over for a cup of tea very soon, and we can drink it in the garden, watching the orchids slowly bloom.