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Thoughts from my isolation


swilkinson

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We in Greater Sydney are in lockdown. This was supposed to be a great week with Trev and Alice here for her first week of the school holidays. They arrived on Saturday morning and left at 5pm on Saturday afternoon. This was due to an order that came out that we were going into lockdown because of cases of Covid-19 increasing in Sydney, the  virulent Delta strain.They had two choices, get out of the Greater Sydney area before 6pm to go home and quarantine there in Broken Hill or to stay here for two weeks and then go home to fourteen more days of quarantine. That would mean Alice missing two weeks of school. And break the rules by which Trev has access.

 

It was a very difficult decision to make and we were all in tears as we accepted what had to happen. Alice was  particularly upset as she loves her weeks holiday on the coast with her opportunities for walking on the beach etc. Edie, Alice's Mum, was on the phone keeping us up with the new regulations, Alice and Trev were repacking the car and I was piling some food into a box to take with them. It was chaos! All our plans for the week we're no longer viable and thirteen hours drive ahead for Trev on less than four hours sleep! 

 

For me the scary part was the threat of isolation again. This was a stay-at-home order so another two weeks alone, no church, no Lions dinner, no coffee in the shops, no contact with friends. For people with local family only five people in the home but for me it will be two weeks mostly spent alone. I did this last year and somehow I survived I know but to go through that again was a daunting prospect. So here I am at the end of day three, still sane so far but only because I am a survivor of so many adverse circumstances. I can survive , having done it before I know I can do it again. But it has been a sacrifice.

 

The extra disappointments were that we had lined up a visit with my daughter and granddaughter, a lunch out with Alice's favourite aunt, Aunty Pamela, and for Alice a visit to her cousins on her mother's side and have a sleepover. All of that well programmed week of activities disappeared. The State never makes moves that enhances the family, the community comes first. I understand that but on an individual basis it is a tragedy. This Covid crisis has put so much stress onto families. Happily I am retired so finances are stable but for workers whose industry have closed down for two weeks without pay it is a disaster.

 

Last week I went to a High tea so had designed a similar event for Alice. I gave Trevor most of the goodies plus the tea set I was going to use for it. Trevor didn't really want to take the china set but I am happy to have him have it, Alice deserves to have something special to look forward to, and we all need that kind of special pampering. The High Tea that I went to was mostly about old fashioned place settings and elegantly served tiny portions of sweet food so I am sure Trevor can draw up a suitable menu. He is up to playing tea parties, Shirley as his older sister did that for him. Little brothers make good guests.

 

As I write this I am counting my blessings. I have a home and a family, friends and colleagues, there are  some things in my life that give it purpose. I have my health, I have just had my second vaccination so have a reasonable chance of not getting Covid. I live in an area where the winter climate is fairly mild, though colder than usual this winter. I know love in many forms but particularly in the friendships I am so lucky to have. I just have to keep well, make sure I am safe, keep busy and keep my mind busy. It is easy to fall into depression. I know that from my blue days when I lost hope when looking after Ray. Not going back there again.

 

No life is hopeless, we all have ups and downs, highs and lows, good days and bad days. How we face up to the bad times is about our attitude. I know all of that but once again it is isolation and isolation means loneliness. I have my friend Peter chatting to me on Messenger  every second night from his home in Armidale so the other night I can phone a friend or watch a favourite movie. I hope to go through the next two weeks without too much trouble and not too much complaining. Good luck to all who are going through the same situation wherever you are. We can do this!!!!

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It is so hard to give up the visits, but Sue you can do this, disappointing as it is. Covid and these restrictions are particularly hard on location split families. However with so many people still not vaccinated and this nasty strain of the virus on the loose we don't have much choice. Stay safe and try to stay sane, video calls are not the same, but they are better than no contact. Fingers crossed for the next visit.

 

Hang in there

-Heather

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Heather we didn't manage to get everyone together last year at all. Seems as if the Covid has broken the threads of our lives as a family. I hope that mends when our lives return to something Iike normal in the future but I somehow doubt it. For one thing the grandchildren will be two years older by then.And I will be older too.

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I totally understand the isolation!!   Am so sick of this COVID dictating our lives - It's to the point that saying "when covid is over" is sounding more like "when I win the powerball jackpot."    We need a life - been on lockdown and isolation long enough!!

 

Sarah

 

 

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Sarah I agree, covid won't be over!!

We are stuck with this I'm sure.

It will just be how the government deals with it that will change 

 

💚👑

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