As my 27th birthday fast approaches (15th March), so too does the one-year anniversary of COVID-19-related restrictions being introduced in Luxembourg. My 26th birthday remains memorable for one main reason: that evening, the Luxembourg Government announced that the country would enter a kind of “lockdown” from midnight.
Up until early-March 2020, Luxembourg had remained pretty much unaffected by this new virus that people in China and Italy were talking about. But, like elsewhere in Europe and beyond, the disease quickly spread, taking countless lives and fundamentally changing life as we knew it. Schools switched to distance learning, “non-essential” shops, restaurants, cinemas and gyms were forced to close their doors, teleworking became the new norm… Life suddenly came to a standstill.
One year on, the situation varies from country-to-country (even from region-to-region). Restrictions have eased in some countries like Luxembourg, whilst other nations find themselves still / again under strict lockdown. Like many other sectors, the travel and tourism industry has been seriously disrupted, potentially changed forever – my own plans to visit my best friend in Australia last May fell victim to the pandemic and, apart from passing through Germany to pick up Nala and Elfi when restrictions had eased slightly, I haven’t been anywhere outside Luxembourg in over a year. Those of you who know anything about me will know just how uncharacteristic of me this is!
Of course, like many things in life, the health crisis has hit some harder than others. I am particularly sympathetic to young people in school or at university, people who live alone, and those who feel they need to make the unfair choice between their health and their economic survival. As someone who has openly struggled with depression, I also fear the long-term impact of the pandemic on mental health, which experts have termed the “second pandemic”. I recognise that women have also been more affected (in general) than their male counterparts, what with more women on the COVID-19 frontline and working in sectors facing the most job losses. There is the added challenge for mothers who are now working from home but are also doing the lion’s share of housework and childcare. And don’t even get me started on the unequal impact of the pandemic on racial and ethnic minority groups…
Anyway, despite a painfully slow vaccine rollout (in the EU, at least), the development and deployment of COVID-19 vaccines have offered a much-needed glimpse of hope. I am especially grateful that older, more vulnerable members of my family (sorry for calling you old, dad) back in Northern Ireland have already received their first vaccine dose. And for the record, I will happily take any approved vaccine as soon as it is my turn.
Coming back to what is clearly the most important aspect of this blog post: my birthday…. Being 26 hasn’t been all bad. Sure, my X-Men’s Rogue-style white patch of hair became more visable (proof that I am both wiser AND a superhero now?) and I haven’t seen my family in over a year, BUT I also have many things for which to be thankful: I celebrated four years of being with a caring boyfriend who also makes a pretty great teleworking buddy; our furbabies, Nala and Elfi, joined our family between lockdowns last year and, despite countless, expensive vet bills and a few claw / bite wounds, continue to light up our lives with their presence; I have a fulfilling job which already offered a lot of flexibility pre-COVID-19; I am fortunate enough to have a roof over my head; and I am able to talk with friends and family any time I want thanks to technology. And above all, my loved ones and I are healthy – hopefully things stay that way.
Like many people, I have also developed new hobbies or revived old ones over the past 12 months. I slowly got back into reading and dabbled in yoga (healthy mind, healthy body), forced myself to go on more walks with Mich and the dog, and I turned a life-long interest in genealogy into a pretty serious hobby (i.e. obsession), reaching out to “long-lost” family members and discovering “new” relatives. We (mainly Mich) also got a lot of renovation work and decorating done in the house.
As for being another year older, another year wiser (in a couple of days), I suppose time will tell… In the meantime, stay safe everyone and cherish your loved ones. If there is one thing this pandemic has taught us, it’s that health and family / friends are everything.
