We’re tired, tired of the isolation, the precautions, the fear. We see the news every day showing parts of Canada faring poorly against this virus. The news makes us sad. That’s how my husband and I feel here in Prince Edward Island and we live in a place without Covid hospitalizations and deaths.
Following a shortened lockdown, we had Christmas in our little bubble with our daughter and the grandchildren. Some members of our family, living elsewhere in the country, though closely supported by family, haven’t been in their company since March. We are fortunate to live on Prince Edward Island and we know it.
What is it like for people living alone? Many are on their own and have been for a long time now. Normal channels of social interaction are gone. Reading some of the blogs I enjoy gives me a glimpse of how people on their own are managing. It’s not easy.
While there aren’t any stories of the previous pandemic circulating in our families, we have glimpses of some health issues affecting society and our families before us though. When I started school in 1959, school started later in the autumn because of the polio virus. At the time, I knew the name but little of what it was about except for images of people in iron lungs on tv and in newspapers. I know someone who acquired polio from a package sent into her northern community for Christmas. She was away from her family for years, receiving treatment as a young child into adolescence. Vaccine saved lives and people from disabilities.
Going back further in time, people with tuberculosis went into sanitariums. Many died. My grandfather lost both parents and five siblings to TB when he was a young child. What was it like for families to wonder who would come down with that disease, or parents dying of the disease and leaving young families? Such tragedies were common.
My husband’s grandfather was a welfare officer on the west coast of Newfoundland in the 1930s. If someone in a family had diphtheria, the family went into quarantine for a period of time. Grandfather Smith put the quarantine notice on the door of the home and provided the family’s needs, such as groceries. My father lost his younger brother to diphtheria. Sometimes several children in a family died.
Today, it is easy to complain about whatever our experience is because it is what’s real to us. However, we only have to look around us today and back in our own lifetimes and those of our parents and grandparents to see how fortunate we are. We have the knowledge of science to help us deal with the reality of this virus, a way to keep ourselves safe and now, a vaccine which was developed quickly. We need people to take the vaccine so we can live Covid free.
This current pandemic experience has highlighted how much we have to rely on one another for survival. My survival depends on my own actions, those of others around me, the community at large and vice versa. We need everyone to take the situation seriously and do their part in keeping themselves and consequently others, safe. That’s life in general though, isn’t it? Now our interdependence is magnified.
Of course we are tired but also determined to live through this, healthy fear in tact and protocols in place. It looks like it will be summer before our age group will be vaccinated on PEI. However, when the day arrives and we can all leave our bubbles safely again without Covid precautions, I hope we have heightened awareness of our interdependence as a people and are better for it.
37 comments:
Hello,
I agree, we do all rely on each other. We must all do our part to stay safe and keep our families and community safe. We are all in this together. I hope they can find a way to produce more of the vaccine doses, get them out there. Have a happy day!
I think we are all very tired of the restrictions placed on us because of this awful virus. You are indeed fortunate to live on an island and relatively safe from infection.
I had three aunties who were affected by TB in the 1940s. One died, leaving 3 toddlers behind, and the other two each lost a lung, but survived to live into old age.
Well said Marie. When you look back in history as far as the bubonic plague, there have always been pandemics of one sort or another. We are so much better equipped to deal with it these days. That doesn't help the many thousands who have died around the world I know, but hopefully the vaccine will save so many more. Take care of yourselves 💜
We are waiting anxiously for the next step and the beginnings of a return to normality.
Focus on the future. I have heard this so often.
I am starting to feel pandemic fatigue as well. Most mornings I wake up wondering … what kind of different things can I do today? Then I see the sun and I feel much better. Most vaccines require about two years to eliminate the disease… and time is passing us by…
Such a good post Marie and it's so true. I know everyone is tired of restrictions, mask wearing and all the other things that have gone along with it. I am just so thankful I have a home where I can stay safe and that I can still see my adult children even if it has to be from a distance. I'm so glad you live somewhere that's safe.
All so true. I've been locked up so long I wonder if leaving my house will ever feel natural again.
Strange times. No Thanksgiving dinner nor Christmas celebrations but it's easier thinking about keeping everyone alive and well for future get togethers. I did have a few weeks where I got so bummed out I slept most of the time. Trying to hibernate through it maybe? Better now. Vaccinations have started here. My daughter-in-law, being medical personnel, got her two shots done but her whole office is staying masked and cautious.
How very, very right you are.
And as an addition, I am endlessly grateful for the technology which allows us to communicate with those we love in these difficult times.
Very well said. It will be a while before it's our turn for vaccines as well. In the meantime, we follow all guidelines and daydream about where we want to go when we can travel beyond 5km from our home!
It's sad to think there are people out there who just don't care and don't follow the restrictions. We hear/read about it everyday on the news. We are so tired of hearing the same thing every single day and I'm sure the people who say it are too. People just don't care to listen, they are selfish. We do our part and that's all we can do and hopefully we can get through it.
Hugs.
That was a very thoughtful post, Marie, and I thought you made some excellent points.
I also feel it is good to be reminded that past generations have faced pandemics (along with wars, natural disasters etc.), and the world has survived and moved on. We will get through this.
Take care, Mxx
It is becoming more and more stressful. I have a number of friends in South Africa now with COVID, very frightening. It looks like we will be going into further lockdown here in France as numbers are just not coming down.
Stay safe, Diane
Big Hugs Love
You didn't mention scarlet fever. It took many young people. Look in local family histories and you see that many children and youth died from scarlet fever.
Very well said.
Thoughtful post. I fully agree.
Yes, it's easy, when we're tired of restrictions to forget that we can look forward to an end, to vaccines, and that we all need to remember each other.
Thank you for a thoughtful post, especially remembering people who are weathering this alone.
I just typed something similar on another blog. I should have copied it. I wrote: just think, we defeated the flu virus this season simply by about half of us masking up. Just think, if all of us masked up and obeyed stay at home orders, we'd probably have covid under control by now.
you are right that we depend on each other for survive...
Hope, vaccines will end this pandemic soon....
Have a great day
Your words bring perspective to our current situation. We are not the only generation to have gone through such times. I hope that we will look back on these times and realize that our actions did make a difference. We are not due for vaccinations until early summer, either. I am longing to have my house filled with the laughter and conversation of children and grandchildren. Still, we must wait.
Very well said. In Manitoba we have been in lockdown for a while. I am getting rather tied of not being able to socialize , but I know we need to remain diligent . I just wish everyone would have the same idea. We have too many around here to think this is all just a government ploy and so they break the rules at every chance they get.
As an old person, who tends to be rather a bit of a hermit anyway, I have not suffered greatly and can wait it out for a few more months. I remember the polio years well, moms enforcing "polio naps" after lunch (or maybe they just wanted some time off, ha) and not being able to go swimming..and the iron lung was the horror of horrors to me. (I finally encountered one in person in 1969, in a rehab hospital where I was working. Only one I ever saw in use, and I think that was not for long as there are other methods now.) All kinds of theories about polio going around, and finally there was a vaccine! Yea! So yea again for the virlogists and lab guys being at work. Patience I hope will be rewarded.
Miriam and I may be the exception but we don't feel that COVID has been too terrible. There are things we miss obviously, like socialization and personal contact, and travel, but other than that our lives have continued pretty much as normal. We have never been big fans of eating out a lot, so we continue to cook as we have always done, our lives are intimately connected to nature, (some might say consumed by it!) and none of that has changed. The search for winter owls goes on as it always has, the Red-bellied Woodpecker still brightens my day, the snow is still white. All in all I don't find it too bad at all.
We are very tired of isolating too at this point. I received my 2nd dose of the vaccine a couple days ago, but my husband hasn't signed up yet. So I'm still apprehensive about venturing out for fear that I might bring it back to him.
We have lost three extended family members already to the virus, both in Saudi Arabia and the US. I've lost count of the number of people I know who have died or survived this virus. And right now my brother's son is fighting for his life in Arizona. He's been in the ICU on life support since Jan. 10. He's not yet 40. His kidneys failed so he is now on dialysis on top of everything else and will have to be for the rest of his life. A few days ago he suffered a heart attack. We thought his organs were shutting down and we were afraid that we were losing him.
But he is now stable and defying the odds, although he's still not out of the woods yet. We are hoping that he will turn a corner soon. I don't know how much more his body can take. It's devastating to our family.
Anyway that's why I haven't been around much. I wish everyone would take this virus more seriously, but sadly until it affects them personally, they probably won't. We are all in this together.
You put things in perspective, and raise important points.
great sharing dear Marie !
my 13 years old brother died with TB when i was 4 or 5 may be ,y es we are unlike previous generations privileged and have pretty much control on our survival or at least we can try better than previous ones
non serious behavior can be damaging and worst for all i agree
as for as it is about being sad after watching news ,i would say try not to watch or keep it to reading only so you can select
media throw news on us like stones and it hurt indeed ,we have quit news since long and feeling bit better and less burdened
stay safe and blessed my friend!
Go to grave yard and see how many babies and children's are buried in one. Marjory of them was born before 1945. My husband great grand father first half, part of the children and the community has wiped out by diphtheria.
Coffee is on and stay safe
Yes, I am very tired of the semi-isolation, especially of being so far away from my daughters. (over 2,000 miles) I'm not seeing my own immunization in the near future since I'm "only" 64, so that's depressing. I would like a bit of normality back--or at least, less fear.
Being isolated when you live alone is more difficult for some. I have spent time with my sister and brother-in-law since Christmas and that has been wonderful. But since I use Zoom to teach and meet with my writer friends, it has been much easier for me. I miss having lunch in a restaurant with friends. I miss our monthly meetings with my writer's group and just going shopping without being on guard. But, as you say, we have been through many tough times and we survived. My uncle was quarantined in a barn when he contracted smallpox back in the early 1900s. His family lost their butcher shop because he was infected and worked there. So, smallpox was another illness that affected people and the community much as this virus is doing now. You speak for many of us in this post. Thanks.
I have read this a couple times and just feel like I have nothing to contribute that has not already been said. I always say that even though parts of the past are appealing, I would never want to give up the advances in medicine.
In times past, Australia has been called The Lucky Country, and in these times of Covid it is completely true, for which I am very grateful.
I cannot begin to imagine the loneliness of isolation for those living alone and especially through a cold winter.
We just have to stay positive that modern science will be successful in its vaccine research.
This really put things into perspective for me! Living in New Jersey, things are not good here, getting the virus would be detrimental to me. I have been ok, talking myself into joyfulness, keeping myself busy! I miss my family and my friends, I thought things would be better by now, I don’t know why!
It has been a very difficult time and I agree especially for those living alone. We are blessed to have Internet , TV, Books, and be able to take walks etc to entertain us despite the seclusion. I wrote and published a cookbook during this shut-in time. I doubt I would have ever found the time to do it under normal circumstances. Thanks for the insightful post . We all need to share and connect during these difficult times.
It does help put it into perspective to think of the pandemics and diseases people dealt with in the past. There were a lot of TB hospitals here back in the day, apparently they thought the mountain air would help. It's weird to think of people leaving their families to come here to try and get better.
I'm impressed by how well your area has handled COVID. As you know, the U.S hasn't done so well.
I do wonder about all of the things we won't put off or take for granted after this is over. I know I want to do a lot better about inviting people over for meals and game nights.
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