Lockdown Diaries

Before this pandemic hit, little did we know just how much life would change. I’ve been isolated inside my home now for three weeks. I couldn’t have imagined just how difficult life would become every time I bring the shopping in. We have now learned to cover a whole routine of corona disinfestation. We leave our shoes outside the door, we wipe down all the bottles and wash all the fruit and vegetables. We literally isolate the rest of the shopping and use it days later. It takes some serious thinking, a full-on strategy and still the thought of having missed an important step is daunting. 

Not to mention the hand washing, which has us going through a full bottle of hand soap in less than a week. I’ve washed my hands so many times, they are now dry, sore and splitting. My hand cream has become my new Holy Grail product and I find it impossible to live without.

All of a sudden I’m thinking hard at making supplies last longer, wasting very little and carefully planning meals so that we don’t have to run out for supplies too often. I now understand what my wasteful and privileged pre-pandemic lifestyle must have seemed like to my grandmother who lived through World War two. This pandemic has surely changed me and the world forever.

Every day at lunchtime, we eat and watch the superintendent Prof. Charmaine  Gauci for the latest updates. It has now become a daily ritual. We hope for the best but can’t help feeling anxious as we wait for numbers. But these aren’t just numbers they’re people, and it suddenly hits so close to home.

I thought spring cleaning would be a breeze this year since we are spending so much time indoors, however it has been harder to reorganize drawers and wardrobes with a 4-year-old constantly getting into each little space. He literally takes everything out and there is no point in putting them back in neatly because he’ll be at it again the next day, if not right after.

The worst part is staying away from the family. I miss our friends, parents, our siblings and my newborn nephew. I wonder when I’ll see them next and it breaks my heart every time my 4-year old cries before ending a video call with his grandparents. No one could have predicted what life during a pandemic would be like, no matter how many apocalyptic movies we’ve watched, this is our new normal and we have to get used to it. Nonetheless, I really shouldn’t be complaining. I know my circumstances are far better than most. There are people who have lost jobs or are finding getting through a pandemic financially difficult. There are families who have split to make sure that at least one parent can take care of their sick child in hospital. There are women waiting anxiously for their time to give birth as they struggle with the fear of leaving their homes. There are people stuck inside abusive homes with no chance of escaping danger. Others will have to live in total isolation risking loneliness and other mental health issues. I’m anxious and yet I’m hopeful. I’ve been greatly blessed; I’m home with my family, I have food in my fridge and a constant reminder that God has this covered.