My great aunt passed away yesterday. 92-years old. In assisted living. No reason to suspect it was anything other than natural causes after a long life.

Last week, the last time she spoke with her daughter, she asked “When are you coming to see me?”

1/

Her daughter said “I’m sorry, mom. I can’t right now because they aren’t allowing visitors.”

Now her daughter is on her way down to collect her mother’s few possessions boxed up and left for her somewhere away from people.

2/

There can be no funeral, no memorial, no gathering at the house.

A life lived and ended. Family left with nothing more than consolations over the phone from a distance.

3/

I was not close with my great aunt but my mother was. She was her mother’s only living sibling.

Were these normal times, my mother would already be on her way down to be in the company of family.

This sucks. All of this sucks.

4/4