There are many amongst us who have had a loved one die during COVID19 lockdown.
We mourn the many beautiful souls who became infected and lost their lives in our nursing homes and also those who died during a season of unparalleled isolation and community lockdown. Here in Victoria, most of us know somebody who has felt the impact of closed state and international borders and restricted funeral attendance. I believe that more than ever before friends, family and neighbours have a role to play in helping those around us memorialise their loved one.
Margetha and I connected online during the Stage 3 Victorian Lockdown and she shared this beautiful reflection about the powerful kindness of her dragon-boat community in helping her farewell her mother, Maretha.
Kristy Harmon
Whole Heart
Margetha’s story
Our tickets were bought, presents for the family sorted and our bags nearly packed to visit my mum on another continent for her birthday in April when COVID made us cancel everything.
Every phone call we promised to get on the first plane to visit as soon as we can… and then my beautiful mum, who loved flowers, passed away on Spring Day.
There was no way we could leave Australia, and with tight restrictions in place limiting gatherings to ten people, my family back home could not even organise a funeral for her. We had to resort to celebrating her life online.
With no other family in Australia, the community in my country town were so supportive with bunches of flowers and plates of food arriving at my front door, and many other favours done for us.
Yesterday I went back to my dragon boat club for a training session and my dragon family did something very special. They organised a beautiful tribute for my mum, although only one of them had ever met her. We paddled to the middle of the lake, the coach read out a tribute, a friend read a beautiful poem, the drum beat sounded ten times and everyone cast flowers on the water. By the time we got back after training, all the flowers had floated back to our launch area.
It was such a beautiful and kind gesture by these dear friends to have given me a tangible ceremony in real life that combined my mother’s loves: water, flowers and nature.