Covid -19

The pandemic is a huge event for all of us, and it's the first time I’ve had to think about death as a reality. It’s been more than 10 months since we last saw a real human being with COVID-19, but I can still see him, his eyes, his lips. We've seen people die from their illness and then gone back into isolation, closed off from the world and those they love. They are now able to look out for each other again. As hard as it has been these past months, they have also become some of the strongest, most resilient people I know. From them I hope we will see life return to some sort of normal, even if just a little bit stronger.

As we reach 2021, there are so many things to be glad about that are worth celebrating. That all this time spent in quarantine could lead us to finally get on board the vaccine train or not get infected at all. Or the chance to live without fear of dying a lonely death that you have never experienced before. No one knows what tomorrow brings, but the future belongs to more people than just me. At least, that’s what I hope. Life must go on without me because my family will be looking after everyone else, even when I can’t be by their side to give them the care they need.

No, I am still grieving that day in December, 2020, where I lost someone who mattered. This person was both loved and cherished, but he wasn't here to help me through everything. Maybe that’s why I felt so grateful that I got to spend time with him. Sometimes as much fun as we had together, sometimes as sad as hell. But I always remember our last Christmas in bed together as a special moment.

So, despite what happened this year, I’m grateful to all the people in my community who did all they could to keep us safe. They were so brave for themselves and us. Even though we could barely move, they were brave enough to do something they wouldn’t normally do to protect themselves and us. Most importantly, they ensured we had safety, even amid the chaos and uncertainty around them. They stood firm against the dangers of infection and death each and every day. And while they did whatever they could, they didn’t stop until we were treated and we were healed. The outpouring of support has been incredible and humbling. When their work and effort to save lives goes unnoticed, it breaks my heart. I haven’t done this much work in a long time and feel so proud of every single person who helped with this task, every volunteer for food banks, every mask wearing stranger, every patient at the hospital and beyond. While we may be lucky to have a vaccine available by the end of summer, I can’t wait to watch life slowly return to some sort of normality. So many people will need it. I hope next year we will be able to live a life free of worry and fear of catching COVID-19. Until then, I hope people will keep up the great work they have done so far and carry on to make this country free of illness and death. May they continue to take steps to safeguard the ones who need and deserve them.

I pray that we will all remember the true heroes of the battle against coronavirus. Every single one of us.

This story originally appeared on Medium by the author.

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You can find me on Twitter @Megan_Rath, where I write about technology, fitness and mental health.