I clearly remember the day I found out that a friend had died from Covid-19 or 21, or whatever this plague has become.
That was during one of the earlier waves; now a third wave looms for the South Coast and we’re in Alert Level 4.
I started to think of how I could write a tribute, but is it be fair? I knew him, and I’m a writer who’s sad and wants to honour his life, but it isn’t that simple.
What about everyone else? Everyone is someone’s friend, brother, wife, child, colleague, teacher, nurse, or mother?
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We grieve all loss, but it’s only those we know who turn the numbers of this pandemic into names.
It feels easier to cope with the loss when we’re so focused on the virus that we forget there are faces we love getting in its way.
Real people are dying here. Daily. Hope seems dim.
Municipalities are battling, parents are struggling to register new babies, vaccine roll-outs are slow. Is there time to rant about it? How do we survive?
One. Step. At. A. Time.
Struggles have come to us all, but one moment after the next, we have the choice to remember all the good things that have come with it.
We can choose to hope for better things instead of letting resentment rule our grief.
Yes, the pandemic is raging as the daily cases are rising again, but there are still beacons of hope that refuse to be outdone.
South Africa’s people are standing up with ideas, goals, and a renewed sense of purpose. They’re getting braver.
One of my friends has quit her corporate job and joined a tiny firm to pursue more fulfilling work.
Two other community friends collaborated to form a small school cooperative in our area to keep the farm kids connected and learning about life.
Another guy has kicked off a home entrepreneurial venture that he’s always dreamed of making into a success.
A varsity friend has started a place of safety for abandoned babies alongside caring for her own kids.
We don’t need to succumb to despair. The pandemic will end eventually. Life will get better when we are stronger for the suffering we endure now.
Celebrate the lives of your loved ones and friends who die through this terrible time. Remember them. Post tributes to them. Mourn with their families and churches. It’s right.
What did you love about that person? What were their greatest achievements? How did they inspire you?
Mark was the coolest video guy and a doting husband and father.
He always looked happy, offering those around him a smile and an easy laugh. Heaven welcomed him, but he will be sorely missed.
Death doesn’t win, though. Hope, love, and peace live on into eternity. God gives and takes away, and He walks with us as we look for joy in it all.
If you’re sad like me, look around and find something that makes you grateful to be alive. One step more and you move forward.
See you there, Mark. Keep smiling.
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