We’re all missing out on things we wish we could be doing. Weddings, coffee dates, even just giving our mates a hug. As borders close and restrictions on public gatherings are put in place, the very grim realities of coronavirus are that we will be missing some pretty important events, like funerals.
I live in New South Wales. We got a call earlier in the week to say that a family friend we thought was perfectly healthy only has a short time to live. That friend lives in Tasmania, who have effectively closed their borders to mainland Australia (and anyone else for that matter) by introducing a mandatory two week quarantine for anyone who enters the state. Our friend doesn’t have two weeks.
It’s a pretty brutal realisation, but it’s one that I know I’m not alone in. People are going to be missing the births, funerals, and marriages of loved ones because of the coronavirus, and while this will all pass soon enough, those are moments you can’t get back.
Coronavirus is so scary that a New York hospital system is banning birthing partners from hospital rooms. People in Italy are saying goodbye to their dying loved ones over video call.
People are giving birth alone and dying alone.
When all this madness has passed and we’re allowed outside again, we’ll go to Tasmania and say goodbye to our friend properly. We’ll meet the babies that were born during quarantine, and we’ll sit with our friends and look at their wedding pictures. It’s tough right now. Really tough. We’ll get through to the other side, but we’ll never forget what and who we lost in the process.
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