Coronavirus and Me

Wow, what a strange week we are experiencing! Coronavirus has hit the UK, and everyone is veering between panic and ignorance. My children are still in school, but all of their extra-curricular clubs are cancelled until further notice. We have no more swimming lessons, no more Girl Guiding groups, and the planned school residential trip is off. Our plans for an Easter party are cancelled, and now I’m wondering how long before the school has to close completely? And yet, life carries on as normal. Last weekend my husband and I went out in Manchester (and yes, we do feel mildly ashamed). It was a pre-planned meal in memory of a friend who died just after Christmas, and since we missed his funeral, we felt it was only right to honour his memory at his favourite student restaurant. The city was a lot quieter than usual, but people were determined to carry on with their lives as normal.

Then there was my Grandad’s funeral yesterday. This was a very strange day. He has been ill for many years, and we didn’t expect him to live past Christmas since he was in and out of hospital. He was a Navy veteran, and I believe that his body had been trained to endure hardship, which is why it took him so long to leave us when his time came.

Anyway, we were not going to miss attending his funeral, and mine and my husband’s health is good, so we attended. Besides, if my children are in school, my life has to carry on as normal, doesn’t it? And my husband cannot shut down the waste treatment site that he manages because that has knock-on effects to public health. The crematorium staff advised us not to stand too close to each other, and we were asked not to hug, shake hands or touch other people wherever possible. My Nan practically had a bubble around her, and my Mum is high-risk due to health complications, so my siblings and I took extra care to shield her where we could. We did attend the planned wake in a local pub, but the staff in there looked very uncomfortable. It was a nice send-off, but a weird one due to the underlying worry about coronavirus. Let’s see where the next week or so takes us…

How is your life impacted (or not) by current events?

 

 

Catherine is the author of the adult paranormal romance series The Redcliffe Novels and also The Darkness of Love, She has short stories published in YA anthologies, freelance articles on various industry websites, and contributes to her personal blog, and her author blog .

You can find Catherine on Facebook and Twitter