All I want is to hug my children

The title is one of the last statements that a friend uttered before succumbing to Covid-19. Unfortunately, he did not have a chance to give his close family that last hug. Covid19 has been upon the world for a while now, changing our entire landscape be it social, economic, political or otherwise.

As we enter the 6th month of 2021, its impact has taken another twist. Suddenly, there are many new infections and many have lost their lives. Every day, we wake up to new variations in the disease.

An old friend succumbed to Covid-19 last week. Initially, he shared that he was battling flu and cough and in a short while, he started experiencing breathing challenges. Whereas many have had similar symptoms and managed to pull through, his situation escalated and we lost him.

At his funeral, his wife shared a deeply touching detail. Covid-19 is a very lonely journey. At its onset, a person will be quickly put into isolation and in many instances, people will treat the patient with stigma for fear of getting infected too.

So a person battles the infection plus the related challenges of being ill all alone. One can only imagine the mind games that come with isolation.  And just like that, a dear friend and father of many, passed on. He was a deeply engaged father. One of his children said if he was not in heaven, then the system is rigged. That is how much impact he had on his children.

One of his daughters said her father had taught her to count her blessings and because of that, she was not going to complain to God. What a profound statement from a young girl.  Listening to these eulogies, as a parent, I reflected on the kind of seeds I am sowing in my life and in the life of my children and other people. A time will come when we shall have to account for the time we have been accorded.

I celebrate my friend Tom Duku. He was also the chairperson for the board of directors of Hospice Africa Uganda, an organisation that offers palliative care support for terminally ill patients.

It was an honour doing life with Tom, a man whose passion for life and living was undeniable. He did everything with such a zest and loud bang, it is quite unbelievable that he is gone and all we have left are memories. We pray for his wife and children that they may be comforted in the season they are going through. That God will minister to them beyond our words.

To you Tom, your legacy shall live on forever.  Farewell!