Love in the time of corona

by PRIYA MULJI

I WRITE this column seven days before I was supposed to be going to Paris with my significant other. In eight days time, I was supposed to be celebrating my 38th birthday in the city of love.

However, Paris got postponed like the plans of so many others globally because of the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed many thousands. That figure will sadly increase by the time you read this. Yes, these are tragic times, but let’s not focus on death and talk about love instead.

My boyfriend and I had booked the Paris trip towards the end of last year. I’m extremely gutted that it has been postponed until September, but it’s for the best and to make matters worse, we are apart during this time. I’m currently staying with my parents in the Midlands, away from London, because they are my worry and so it’s unlikely I will see him on my birthday.

But with the amount of people dying, my birthday means nothing. I don’t know when I’ll see him next and that makes me sad. It is a certainty that I’m not the only one in this situation and there are many couples out there who are faced with the prospect of not seeing each other for the foreseeable future. This isn’t like a long distance relationship because we haven’t chosen this. So how, in a world full of chaos, can we keep our relationships full of love?

Firstly, video chat needs to become your best friend. Most smartphones have a video calling facility – use it! Schedule dates every evening so that you see each other’s faces and exchange emotions even though you are not together. Another  hing you can do is go old-school. Write each other love letters expressing how much you mean to each other. In the 1990s, we used to make mix tapes, but now, how about creating a playlist in Spotify that you think your other half will like. Download some apps and play virtual games together. You can now even watch Netflix together. I love playing scrabble online because that’s working your brain and being interactive at the same time. Make plans for when this madness is over.

Book a trip, schedule a night where you go to your favourite restaurant or just plan a night in where you get pizza and watch a series or film.

The main thing is communication. Talk to each other. Make sure your other half knows that they’re loved and appreciated. That when this is over, everything will be back to normal and in that spirit, I am expecting a huge belated birthday celebration from my Mr Big.

Coronavirus is likely to get worse, but like life’s other challenges, we will get through this. Look after yourself, stay healthy, look after those that are vulnerable and make sure those close to you know they are loved. Stay strong, stay positive and stay connected.

Follow Priya Mulji on www.twitter.com/priyamulji or log onto www.priyamulji.com