Living alone during a pandemic
Joan was almost 80 when her husband died. They'd been together over 50 years, spending their adult lives doing everything together. They raised a family, pulled through times of financial hardship, dealt with his later life health concerns, all the while sustaining a strong relationship and a secure happy home. Like many couples they'd each had their own areas of responsibility, with Joan primarily running the household. Upon being widowed she'd had to learn to deal with all the 'other' things; the finances, the car, arranging necessary home repairs. All outside of her comfort zone, but she persevered. Being alone she was determined not to be a burden to anyone else and had contacted several local social clubs and groups geared to older people. She learned to play bridge, joined a weekly walking and lunch group, enrolled in classes for Tai Chi and Egyptology, attended a weekly talk with the University of the Third Age. Many of these activities were within a twenty-minute walk of her home, a pleasant bonus on a nice day. She'd rejoined a weekly whist group and attended a musical social once a month. All in all, there were interesting social activities in her diary every day of the week, bringing with them associated conversations, relationships and friendships. Joan had never been interested in technology and so had never learned to use a computer or get to grips with a mobile phone. The regular entries in her social diary were her way of maintaining contact with the outside world and it worked well, giving her something to do each day. Once a week she'd do her supermarket shop and then attend her various clubs.
