Caretakers

Women often make caring for ageing family a part of their longterm planning

I had dinner with a young friend last week, catching up for the first time since last summer. The last time we saw each other was online, in some Zoom calls that a small group of used to check in and support each other during the first few months of the coronavirus pandemic.

This time, we were meeting at a restaurant to enjoy some food in the beautiful garden of a favorite Thai restaurant here in Berlin. A warm summer night, delicious food and good company, it almost felt like pre-pandemic times.

So much has changed for everyone in the world since December 2019. And what I’m curious to learn from people lately is, has the pandemic affected or even initiated any decisions they’re making for the future?

My friend C. is in her late 20s/early 30s. I’m a good 20 years old than she is. We met at a self defense workshop I was giving four years ago, a particularly memorable one because our training was interrupted by the cries of a baby seagull that had gotten itself onto the outdoor deck of our training space, but couldn’t figure out how to get itself out. C. took photos, and every year around this time, her phone sends her the reminder photo, and every year she sends it to me, to remind me that this is how we met: over birds and…