Dear Yuri,
I hope you are safe.
I have amazing friends who have formed a metro family. Before this began, I was thinking about the seismic shifts during and after WW2 that scattered our grandparents around the world. These grandchildren of immigrants and survivors somehow found each other in South London. I live on my own and I was very worried about being so completely isolated. But Covid-19 has been a story of community and connection for me.
I didn’t know my neighbours in the other two flats until a few short weeks ago. Now we barter, share shopping runs and help each other out. They have inspired me and made me laugh. Zoom has brought my mother, brother and I together as we sit in different parts of the world – USA, UK and South Africa. The professional has become personal – and children and partners walk-in and out of work meetings.
My metro family dance, worry and laugh every night at 8pm.
It is easy to focus on the negative but all around me I see people doing deeds of kindness and reaching out to connect. My greatest hope is that we will come out of this more compassionate and kind.