Official live update of spread of COVID19

[arewethereyet]

I feel sad.  A wonderful man who was my dad's age, from my hometown, died on Friday.  The cause was not Covid19; he had been in ill health for a while.  He was one of the nicest and funniest men I have ever known.  I saw him a lot when I was growing up and remember him as always having a smile on his face...his brothers were much the same as was their father.

His wife of 61 years was in near constant contact with me when I was going through my breast cancer journey even mailing me a box of cookies.  

Pat was the head of large family of seven children, was a business owner with members of his family, had been a volunteer fireman, and was active in the community.  As is the custom back home there would be a visitation, a Catholic funeral mass, and a funeral dinner afterward.  It was just announced that the dinner would not be happening because of the virus and word was put out by the family that they understand people who can't, or choose not, to attend.

Though that sort of thing isn't important to me I know that his family and especially Betty Anne are being dealt a second blow by not being able to carry out what is customary.  If there was ever a man deserving of the whole thing (even the bagpipes), it was Pat.  

My heart breaks a bit.

My MiL is in hospice care atm, and it really sucks that we may not be able to take care of her remains if she dies in this time period. The only people allowed to visit now are immediate family and medical professionals. People bringing communion and preying are excluded, as well.

It's something you don't think about unless you are facing it, I suppose.

Last week there were several radio spots about what to do if you have to postpone a wedding....well, you can postpone a wedding.  I hadn't thought about having to alter funeral type gatherings.

It's a damn mess out there.  

I am sorry that on top of going through this with your MiL you also have the additional stress of timing with this virus going around.


*bold*  What you did there, I see it.