In mid-March 2022, our eldest daughter tested positive for COVID-19.
She was the second of three who copped it in our household, and had mercifully minor symptoms. But the timing couldn’t have been much worse. Having just gotten their feet back under them at school, her entire year level were ramping up for City Experience – a week-long series of meaningful, educational, relationship-building, and fun activities.
So, instead of enjoying a week of adventures in town, she was stuck in our house with a bunch of cranky co-isolators.
Still, she put on a brave face and persevered with grace and aplomb.
But then, seventeen weeks later (to the day!) she tested positive for Covid again.
This time it was three days into her big year nine trip to central Australia. Instead of touring Kata Tjuta, Simpson’s Gap, Alice Springs, Kakadu, and Darwin with her classmates, she was cooped up in a motel room in Yulara in isolation.
The school did an admirable job of caring for her, leaving a teacher nearby to supervise at a safe distance, and updating us regularly. Wal flew up on the first available flight north (allowing the teacher to rejoin the tour) and did his work from another room nearby.
Impressively, his young lady was coping like a champ – taking the positive from the situation and keeping up with the news from her classmates as they continued north. Watching movies on her iPad, doing online church, reading voraciously, and making the best of the situation.
Three things we take from the events of last year:
- It bakes my noodle that we can work-from-home / Uluru with no worries,
- School excursions (or anything good really) cannot be assumed,
- I am so proud of the godly young lady our daughter is growing into.
Kata Tjuta at dawn was spectacular
