Un-LEash

It's safe to say that the past year and few months have felt like some of the longest, at least in my lifetime. The pandemic raged, and we were forced to try and survive the best way we know how. But behind the scenes (so to speak), there were scientists working hard and fast. Some were studying the behaviour of the virus, others the impact on people, and others still, how to vaccinate the world. I admit that I was not very keen on being among the first to be vaccinated. And by that, I mean I would prefer to wait a few years when more is known about the virus and any long-term effects a vaccine may have. But the luxury of such a wait seemed too high a price. Waiting meant being more likely to be exposed, and unfortunately, there is no predicting whether I would be among the fortunate to recover. So I decided, even before a single drop landed on our shores, that I would take the vaccine. There was one condition though - I had to be sure that it was sufficiently safe. Many different ...

One thing that has been constant about the COVID-19 pandemic is loss. Many have died; some have lost senses (smell and taste); others, the ability to connect and touch loved ones. But one thing I have also learned is that it has taken away the ability to grieve as we have come accustomed to. In December last year, we got the shocking news that my uncle passed suddenly. He was about his business, picking up groceries. And then everything went downhill. He would never leave the hospital alive as he did numerous times before. We said our good-byes at his funeral just before the end of the year. And because of the pandemic, we had to watch virtually. Just a week later, not yet a full week into the New Year, two more relatives passed, each one day apart. Both were my granduncles; one my grandmother's brother, the other my grandfather's brother. One was overseas, one was right here at home. And both died very suddenly. It was after the 2nd death that I really felt heavy and the tears...