Curse of pandemic that turned into blessing of family reunion
A family during a Christmas dinner.
What you need to know:
- My mother always told me and my siblings that he works very hard, and that he was a very busy man.
I thank God for my mother because she has been here for us but I was happy to have my entire family under one roof.
I imagine that being nurtured and raised by one’s mother and father must be a blessing from God, but I did not know what it meant to live with ones father until Covid-19 came to Kenya.
I have heard from friends that fathers provide, love and protect.
These roles, and many others, have been played by my mother for as long I can remember.
Seeing that I am alive, I must have a father, right? However, I had never seen him.
My mother always told me and my siblings that he works very hard, and that he was a very busy man. I did not know where he worked, or what he did, how he looked like or sounded. This all changed, thanks to Covid-19.
To prevent the virus from spreading and killing more people, the Ministry of Health advised Kenyans to work from home, avoid gatherings and practise social distancing. In some companies, work was put on hold altogether and offices closed.
Love and comfort
I do not know which of the two situations happened to my father, but I guess when work was reduced or stopped, he had no other option but come home.
Maybe, just maybe, it is true that blood is thicker than water because he came. My siblings and I were excited to see him this year. I think we even cried, or laughed, or both. I heard his voice for the first time, and it was trembling. I hope he is full of love and comfort, because I am happy that he is around now.
I thank God for my mother because she has been here for us but I was happy to have my entire family under one roof.
It is such a joy to have your mother, father and siblings in the same room. There are many unpleasant things that came with this pandemic that has caused pain to many. I know some people lost family members.
There are others whose businesses collapsed and job lost and have not picked up.
I am glad that I am among the few people with something positive to share due to the pandemic. It allowed me and my siblings to meet and know my father.
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