Day 4 - Together but apart

Sunday.  

In years past it was a day I struggled a lot with and consequently, I didn't like.

In more recent years past it was a day I grew to love and cherish, a day that wrapped me up in warmth and love and gave me a feeling of safety and security.

Today - the first Sunday of our lockdown - I have mixed emotions. 
 
Today we received the very sad news that we had lost our first Kiwi to COVID-19.  The family naturally want to have their time to grieve without the prying lenses and microphones of the media; I hope they can feel the love from the country at this very sad time; their loss serves to remind us all however that this disease is a killer.  If people weren't taking it seriously beforehand, they should be now.

I also went for a bike ride with a friend today (maintaining our 2m distance of course.......sometimes significantly more, to the point where passers by would have thought we were each riding alone). Although there were plenty of people out on the trail walking and biking it was great to see everyone adhering very strictly to their bubbles.  During the ride the feeling also grew quite strongly in me that the world was beginning to feel like did over 50 years ago when I was a kid, when you could go out for a bike ride or a walk and not see very many people, much less be worried by cars, trucks, speed, fumes and safety.  It got me thinking that a world with fewer people would be a natural means by which diseases such as COVID-19 could be more easily contained and that other ills of modern living would begin to heal......

I received and email today with these wise words: "Never have I felt so pleased to be living in a small island country at the bottom of the South Pacific, and with sane, genuine people in control of our welfare."  Wise words indeed, and feelings that I'm sure are echoed by people throughout the country. 

Yup - we're together apart but we're safe.  The slight drop in new cases reported today gives us reason to hope but not cause to celebrate.  For the family who have lost a loved one though, their worlds have been forever scarred  by this disease.  Let's all stay together apart and stop it from stealing any more lives.

Stay safe everyone.